Always Watching
by LittleKnux2008
Summary: When Lita gets a stalker, it turns out to be more serious than anyone would've ever thought. I own nothing, please read, enjoy, and review! :
1. Prologue

**Always Watching**

**Prologue**

"So, what do you say, Lita?  Night out on the town with the guys?" Chris Benoit asked, looking over at his companion.  "Come on.  You need to have a nice night out-you shouldn't spend so much time holed up in your hotel room."

                "I have my reasons," the redhead next to him whispered softly, and shifted the duffel bag on her shoulders.  "I'm sorry, Chris, but you guys are just going to have to do without me tonight."

                "Lita," Chris said, his voice suddenly firm and bordering on loud.  "The police will eventually catch the guy who's been bothering you, but it might not be for a while.  You just can't hide in your room and hope it will all go away," he told her.

                "I can try," Lita responded, and stopped as they reached her locker room.

                "Li, I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you're making too much out of nothing.  So maybe a fan's fantasizes went too far.  But he's only sent letters and pictures, he's never approached you.  And even if he did, you know they posted two round-the-clock cops for you," Chris said.  Lita looked straight back at him, and he could see the affect that this person was having on her.  Stress was evident on her face by the purple bags slashed beneath her eyes.  _'It's not like I'm helping the situation any,' _Chris though to himself snidely, but pushed the thought away.

                Lita took time to choose her words.  "Maybe I am, Benoit.  Maybe I am overreacting, but I don't mind telling you that I feel safer in my hotel room then _out_," she looked away from him.  "I don't know if the investigators let you read the letters, but they're…creepy in the least.  He keeps referring to me as his china doll, and writes like I'm _his_," her eyes met his once more.  "Every time there's a letter in a manila folder, and some pictures," her shoulders shook, "Pictures of me.  In the ring, and out, getting into my car, catching a bite to eat, whatever I've done since the last time he wrote.  He writes things on the back: 'When I come for you, we'll eat at nicer places then Burger King', 'surely we'll be able to afford a better car' and stuff like that.  Each letter says that he's going to come soon, and that I couldn't avoid him, and shouldn't try."

                "Lita—" Chris tried to interrupt, but failed.

                "I _really _don't like the fact that this man knows everything I do as soon as I step foot onto the pavement, Chris," the redhead said earnestly.  "I'm afraid that if I go with you guys, I'll put you in danger."

                "We're wrestlers, Lita, we deal with threats on a daily basis," Benoit interjected.

                "From _other wrestlers._  Not paranoid stalkers," Lita responded.

                "Look, Li—" Chris sighed, running a hand over his brown hair.  "I do mean to upset you, Lita, but I'm worried about you."

                "I'll be okay, Chris."

                "I'm starting to wonder if that's true," he replied seriously, shaking his head.  Lita pushed open her locker room door, starting to say something.

                She stopped dead one step into her room.  Chris walked in behind her, staring at the surroundings.

                Four large vases of ornate bouquets sat on the desk, dark rose petals covering the desk so that the wood wasn't visible.  The redhead took tentative steps forward until she was standing in front of the vases.  Slowly, she reached her hand between the second and third, and pulled a large manila envelope from between them.  Her hands shaking, she pulled out a single piece of notebook paper, and read the typed note quickly.  As if in a trance, she tilted her hand.  Several photos—two dozen in total—tumbled onto the floor.  Lita looked at them for only a second, then turned, clamping a hand over her mouth.  Her shoulders shook with silent sobs that she tried to control.  Chris stepped forward, ignoring the photos and embracing his friend.

                "It's going to be alright, Lita…  I promise," he whispered as she leaned against him.  Over her shoulder, Chris tried to look at the photos.

                "Don't make promises you can't keep," Lita whispered in a half-sob, her voice halting and broken.  She moved her head the slightest bit, inadvertently giving Benoit a view of the pictures.  As he looked at them, Chris's throat tightened.

                24 photos, obviously taken in the dark and by an amateur.  24 photos, spelling out the game Lita's stalker was playing.

                24 photos of Lita…from inside her hotel room.

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**Author's Note: **I should really stop writing all of these new stories, but I can't help it!  Those damn muses!  Anyway, this is a little different then what I usually write, so I hope I didn't do too bad.  Please review!


	2. Chapter 1

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 1**

"He…He was in my hotel room," Lita whispered, shell-shocked, a half an hour later.  Stacy sat next to her on the bench, soothingly rubbing her hand over the redhead's back.  Chris Benoit stood with two uniformed officers, watching as several others methodically tore apart the locker room, aiming to collect every shred of evidence.

            Chris rubbed his neck as he talked to the two officers.  The first one, Captain Trevor Moceri, kept one eye on the people taking the evidence away in carts as he asked the Canadian a barrage of questions.  Captain Moceri was a decorated officer with a pot-belly, balding head of brown hair, a large, bushy mustache, and a sharp mind for details.  Beside him was Lieutenant Jason Porter.  He was a black-haired man with olive-colored skin.  The Italian air set by those and the rest of his features were offset by his ice blue eyes.  He was tall and muscular, his eyes assessing.

            "Let's go over this again," the captain said, his tone patient.

            Chris rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.  "Lita and I were walking down the hallway.  I was trying to convince her to come out to party with a few friends tonight to get her worries off of this asshole."

            "What friends?" Lieutenant Porter interrupted.  When Chris looked at him, he elaborated.  "We may need to talk to them too.  In this investigation, everyone is a suspect."

            "Right," Chris said simply.  "There's a bunch of us, but it's usually me, Chris Jericho, Edge, Stacy—she's the blonde over there—um…" he shrugged.  "Rob Van Dam…  I can't think of everybody.  Talk to Edge and Chris, they're the ones who parade everyone together."

            "Did the victim-Lita-accompany you on these outings?" Moceri questioned.

            "Yes-that is, until she started getting those pictures.  Then she stopped."

            "When you entered the room, how did it look?"

            "The four vases were lined up on the desk, full of flowers.  There were flower petals spread over the desk, roses, I guess.  I don't know much about flowers.  I didn't see it until Lita pulled it out, but there was a large manila envelope resting in the middle."

            "You say she picked up the folder?"

            "Yes.  She walked into the room and picked up the folder, undid it, and pulled the letter out."

            "Just the letter?" Porter asked.

            "Yes."

            "Not the pictures?"

            "No," Benoit replied, his tone irritated at all of the questions directed at him.  "The pictures were still in there.  Lita read the letter, and then tilted the envelope so all of the pictures spilt out over the floor.  She started crying, and I went over there to comfort her."

            "Is that everything?" Captain Moceri asked, his tone implying that he'd left something else.

            "Yes, and if I miraculously remember a detail, I'll tell you," Chris retorted.

            "We're going to go question her.  I think it would be best that no one else is there with her," Moceri told him.  "You stay here, and we'll send the Keibler woman over as well."

            When the two men approached, Lita instinctively trusted Captain Moceri.  Perhaps it was the homely, father-look about him, but she wasn't sure.  Lieutenant Porter, however, was an entirely different matter.  The way he looked at her put her at unease.  The redhead pushed some of her hair behind her ear and wiped her wet cheeks as Stacy disappeared from her side.

            "We need to have your version of events for us on record," Captain Moceri said, his face apologetic.  "So if you would…" he motioned with his hand.

            Lita concentrated on making her voice steady.  "Chris and I were walking to the locker room after the show ended.  He was trying to get me to go out to a club like we usually did with the guys, but I didn't want to go, what with this stalker and all.  We walked in—Chris followed me—and the flowers were there.  I grabbed the envelope, read the letter, and spilled the pictures onto the floor."

            Throughout her explanation, Lieutenant Porter had scribbled down her words, and now his pen was poised over the yellow notepad.  "How did you feel when you saw the photos, ma'am?" he asked her.

            Lita met his eyes and shook her head disbelievingly.  "How do you _think _I felt?  Some deranged stalker got _into my room _last night.  I had all of the doors bolted shut, and there were two cops posted just outside, but he managed to get in," she covered her face with one hand.

            "Those officers received a strict warning for their lack of attention," Moceri told her.

            "They were watching me carefully," Lita told him, her voice muffled from behind her hand.  "I set the alarm to wake me up every two hours.  I peeked out the curtains each time, and they were still watching me," she shifted in the chair and looked at the two officers.  "My point is that whoever this guy is; he can reach me whenever he wants."

             Moceri shifted, his jaw clenching.  "Not if I can help it.  I'm proposing to put a guard in your room," he told her.

            The redhead paused, obviously uncomfortable with the proposal.  "I don't want a stranger in my hotel room."

            "Stalker or bodyguard," Moceri countered, "Your choice."  Lita sighed and looked away.

            "I'll do it," Chris Benoit's voice cut through the conversation.  All three turned to face him.  "We all know Lita needs a bodyguard, and she doesn't want to have a stranger with her 24/7."

            Lieutenant Porter eyed Chris Benoit.  "No offense, but you don't have the proper training to be a _bodyguard_," he said, his tone spiteful.  Chris took a threatening step forward, but the captain stepped between them.

            "How about this…  Chris, you can stay with Lita for a week.  If there is no positive progression, we'll try one of our bodyguards," Captain Moceri said, extending his hand to Benoit.  Benoit took it in a handshake.

            "Deal," Chris said.

            "I want to go to the hotel," Lita announced suddenly.  Chris inwardly winced when he saw her.  Her knees were curled into her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs.  The lost look on her face burned into his memory, and he curled his fists.  If he got his hands on that son of a—

            "Very well," Captain Moceri said to the redhead, interrupting Chris's thoughts.  "Take care, and I'll call you when we have any more leads."

            "Any more?  Last I heard you didn't have any," Chris said.

            "Not any that is likely to lead to the stalker.  When you're in this kind of business, it could be just about anyone.  We're looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack."

            Chris's eyes blazed at his pessimistic statement.  "Lita," he said, his voice flat as he tried to keep the anger out of his voice, "Go and wait for me out of the room.  I want to talk with the kind officers," he told her, the last couple words of his sentence lined with sarcasm.  The redhead, not in the mood to argue, and visibly shaken from it all, left the room.

            Chris Benoit stepped up to the captain, tilting his head slightly.  "I don't care if the chance of finding this guy is the size of the tip of a pin; _I want you to work 24/7 _on this case.  You're being paid good money, and I want it put to use."  After a few more moments of speaking to them, Chris turned around and headed for the door, thoroughly satisfied.  He stepped out of the room to see Lita leaning with her back to the brick wall, her eyes staring off into space.

            "It could be anyone I know," Lita whispered, and let her eyelids fall.  "They could be right here, consoling me and putting on a faux show," mortified, she burst into tears.

            Chris was at her side to comfort her, but he did not say anything.  He couldn't.

            Because she was absolutely right.

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**Author's Note: **Relatively fast update!  Hoorah!  I hope you guys like and please review!


	3. Chapter 2

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 2**

His eyes glittered as he walked up to the front desk of the Holiday Inn. _Room 74._ He had seen the hotel card settled on top of Lita's bags when he entered, and had immediately memorized the number. _'74,' _he repeated over and over in his mind, _'I'll see her again tonight,' _he thought, twisting his hands together in anticipation. _'She'll stay up as long as she can, but I'll see her…I **always **do.'_

"How may I help you?" the woman at the desk spoke up. He felt a jolt of fear go down his spine, and then pushed it away. There was no way the woman could _possibly _recognize her. He had searched over his disguise inch by inch before he stepped into the Holiday Inn—he couldn't even recognize himself. It was nearly August, and the hotel was in California, so he'd picked a disguise fitting to that. The carefully glued wig was, in fact, made out of human hair-a shade of dirty blond that hung along his cheekbones. Contacts made his eyes appear a chocolate brown. With the skill of an artist, he had applied make-up so that his face looked just slightly sun burnt. Along with his outfit of shorts, a tank top, sunglasses, and sandals, he was sure that anyone would simply pass him off as another surfboarder coming for a vacation.

The woman was in her mid-fifties, obviously plotting retirement soon. She was a little chubby, the notion enforced by the half an inch-long spikes of brown hair on her head. Colorful glasses hung around her neck, and there was a permanent frown seemingly imprinted upon her face.

He gave her a smile as he leaned forward on the desk, perfectly playing along with his role. The knowledge that this woman would probably be the last on Earth to remember her in detail set him at ease. "Hello, ma'am," he said graciously, pulling an accent from the back of his throat. "I'm here to check into my room—room 74, I believe."

She looked at him, scowling. After a moment, she turned in the gray rolling chair she was sitting in, and began typing rapidly at the computer next to her. Her frown cut even deeper into her face as the screen lit up. "How did you reserve?"

"I came in here earlier," he replied, "There was a young blond woman here, and she said she reserved it for me, and that I could get my keys and check in later. She mentioned something about a view of the water." He grinned to himself. By watching the hotel nearly all day, he had learned that when the elder woman took her lunch break, a young woman by the name of Tiffany came in and worked.

"What's your name?" the woman asked.

"Brad Thompson," he told her, using a common name. _'Rule 1: Always, always, be common. Be the guy next-door…**Be forgettable**,' _he told himself.

"I'm sorry but there is no reservation under Brad Thompson," she told him. He frowned, creasing his face to look confused. "You said Tiffany reserved it for you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I said I wanted a room with a view of the water… She said that this was the best one because you got a view of the water and you could see the sunset." _'Don't be too specific,' _he warned himself.

The woman snorted. "I don't know _what _that girl was thinking. Number 1, room 74 has _no _view of the water or the sunset. It faces the interior of the building, and if you can possibly manage to see away from the building, you're looking east!" she sighed, obviously frustrated with Tiffany. "I don't even know why she said she could reserve this room!"

"Just out of curiosity…Why not?" Brad asked.

"A redhead and her boyfriend have already reserved the room, and they just checked in a few minutes ago," she told him.

_'A redhead…' _just what he wanted to hear, but…her boyfriend? His blood boiled. _'She **can't **have a boyfriend! She's **mine! MINE!**' _he screamed inwardly. Quickly, he swallowed his temper. He couldn't afford to have his cover blown. "All right then… Is there another room available for two nights?"

He didn't pay attention to the woman as she booked a room for three nights for him. Five minutes later, keys in hand, he stepped into an empty elevator. _'Lita… Lita, darling… **My **Lita… You can't have a boyfriend…Why would you want one? You have me… You'll always have me… And I'll always have you.' _He leaned against the back wall of the elevator as the floors silently ticked by. _'You think that a boyfriend can stop me from getting to you… Well, you're wrong, dearest… Nobody, and **nothing**, can stop me from getting to you.' _He shoved his hands into his pockets, and was instantly reminded of the cheap disposable camera in his right pocket. _'Nothing will stop me from getting my work done tonight…nothing.'_

The elevator slowed at the seventh floor with a small beep. He stepped out, pulling a key into his hand while he did so. _'Soon, Lita…' _he thought to himself, a grin on his face. _'Soon, we can be together, just like we're meant to. I'll get rid of those pestering cops watching you 'round the clock, take care of your annoying boyfriend, whoever he is, and then I'll show myself to you. Then, finally, I'll take you away… We'll go where no one can bother us again. We'll be together…forever; for all eternity…because I won't let **anyone** between us. And if anyone tries, they'll meet their fate sooner then originated. If anyone somehow turns you against me, I'll kill us both, because in death, we'll still be together…_

_ Together for all eternity.'_

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**Author's Note: **Here's another chapter! Just got back from camping—had to come home early because we're going to have a busy week here! I'll try and update on Thursday-Saturday, but no promises. I hope you guys like!! Please review!


	4. Chapter 3

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 3**

Lita sighed to herself as she looked around the hotel room, her eyes adjusting to the lights as they came on. The redhead bit her lip and stepped further into the room, setting her duffel bag next to the dresser that held the television on top of it. There was only one queen-sized bed in the room, and neither Lita nor Chris Benoit felt obligated to change their room so that each of them could have their own bed. They were friends, after all. Lita sat down on the end of the single bed, looking over at the nightstand next to the bed. _'It's only __seven o'clock__,' _she thought to herself, rubbing her eyes. _'I could've sworn it was later… The house show ended a little before six…' _she shook her head, and laid backward onto the bed, listening to the rustling sound as Chris searched through his duffel bag.

_"…but I think you're making too much out of nothing," _Chris Benoit had told her, only hours before. _'Maybe I am,' _Lita thought guiltily. _'But just the thought of someone being so close to me to take pictures at every turn is unnerving, and now… He was in my hotel room. He could have done **anything **he wanted. My life was in his hands, and if he decides to come back, it still will be.'_

"Hey, Lita, I'm gonna go take a quick shower, okay?" Chris told her, holding a wad of clothes in hand. Lita nodded absentmindedly, knowing what he was really asking: _Lita, are you going to be okay if I leave you alone now?_ She closed her eyes, letting her thoughts wash over her. The bathroom door shut firmly, and a few minutes later, she heard the soft noise of water running.

_"I don't mind telling you that I feel safer in my hotel room than out," _she had told Chris minutes after his statement about making too much out of nothing. _'Not anymore,' _she realized, _'I'm scared to death to go to sleep. What if he comes back and Chris isn't there to stop him? I trust Chris… But he's human. Humans make mistakes.' _Immediately after thinking that, Lita felt guilty. _'What right do I have to dump this all on Chris?' _she asked herself. _'He offered to protect me, but what if I pressured him into it? What if the man comes into the hotel room, and hurts Chris?' _the redhead sighed, closing her hands into fists. _'I don't know what to do anymore… Maybe I do need someone to protect me, but I don't want to put **anyone **in danger…'_

She was pulled from her thoughts when the phone rang. The redhead sat up, dangling her feet off of the edge of the bed as she reached for the receiver. "Hello?" she said into the phone.

"Hey, Red. This is Christian," the male voice on the other end responded, and Lita felt her shoulders dip in relief. She winced moments later, realizing that she had been tense and holding her breath. _'What the hell is this man doing to me?' _she wondered silently, but pushed the thought away. It would do no good to continue thinking about her problem.

"Hi Christian," she said weakly, wrapping her finger around the cord as she spoke, her eyes staring blindly at it.

"I heard about what happened today from Stacy—I'm really sorry I wasn't there," Christian said, his voice guilty and worried. "If only I'd have stayed longer…" he trailed off.

"Christian, Benoit was with me, and Stacy came soon enough. If you were there, you couldn't have done anything different," she told him reasonably, "And don't think it's your fault that this guy got into my locker room without being seen, the guy is a master at being invisible."

"I guess," Christian responded. "How are you holding up?"

"Okay," she replied, not thinking deeply to reply. Christian didn't need to know how much the pictures disturbed her.

"Red… I was thinking… Do you want to come out to the club with us, and just hang out?" he asked, making it sound like an innocent inquiry, but Lita knew better. He was offering to get her out of her hotel room and into a more public place.

Lita hesitated, and then made up her mind. She didn't want to be in this hotel room during the night _at all_, and going out would at least delay her return. Plus, Chris had wanted to go to the club earlier…she felt guilty to tear him away from his plans because of her problems. "Sure… I guess that'd be okay," she said into the phone.

"All right, then," Christian said. "We're going to head to the Neon today… We'll find a table near the front. See you there!"

"Okay, we'll probably be there within the hour," she told him, "Bye," she added. The redhead reached over, holding the phone just over the cradle. Suddenly, she froze, still dangling the receiver over the cradle.

How did Christian get her number? No one, not even Stacy, knew where she and Benoit had roomed. The front desk had been given specific instructions that her stay was to be anonymous in the least. How could he have…?

The redhead shook her head vehemently, standing up and making her way to the window. Had she really been about to mentally accuse Christian of being her stalker? She set her forehead against it, staring out across at another wall of the building. This man—her stalker—had her twisted in so many ways she couldn't even keep track of herself. Her hotel room, her safe haven, had become her nightmare, her inescapable cell. Every friend she had was a potential enemy, and her paranoia was at an all-time high.

_"I'm worried about you," _Chris had said to her, and Lita sighed heavily. Was it that obvious? The redhead stepped away from the window, turning to look at the hotel room while she took deep, steady breaths. _"It's going to be okay, I promise," _he had said, once she had seen the dark, dreary photographs of herself in her hotel room.

Lita sighed, running a hand through her hair. _'I don't know if it will, Chris… If something is going to go down, it better happen soon… I don't know how long I can stand this before I snap and do something stupid.'_

She sat down on the bed, curling into a ball, suddenly feeling a hundred years tired. _'Who am I? If someone asked my closest friend that, what would the answer be? A strong, loyal, fiery redhead…but the answer will have changed. I can't find that part of me anymore. I'm weak, I'm accusing, and I'm downright paranoid… I'm a stranger to myself, and there's only one thing that I know that can fix it—this guy getting caught. And according to Captain Moceri, it's not going to happen anytime soon.'_

Lita closed her eyes, trying to push those thoughts away, but the fact remained steady: until her stalker was captured and put in jail, she couldn't be normal—she couldn't be _herself_—again.

**Author's Note: **Another chapter! Hope you guys liked it! Please review!


	5. Chapter 4

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 4**

Lita took a sip of the water before her, surveying the dance floor with her eyes. _'One of them out there could be my stalker,' _she thought, and turned her eyes to the group of friends who surrounded her. _'One of my **friends **could be my stalker.' _The thought was not a settling one, and Lita pushed it away. She took note of each of the people around her: Chris Benoit, Edge, Christian, Chris Jericho, Stacy, Rob Van Dam and Shane Helms. By some unspoken agreement, no one mentioned anything about Lita's predicament.

"All right, Red, you're just too quiet for your own good," Chris Jericho declared suddenly, looking at the redhead next to him on his right. "C'mon," he insisted, grasping her hand and pulling her out of the large booth.

"Chris!" she protested as she followed him to avoid being dragged.

He stopped in the middle of the dance floor, and tapped her on the nose, "C'mon Li, let's turn that frown upside down," he told her, grinning widely. Lita rolled her eyes at his childishness, but nonetheless started to dance with him.

* * *

Chris Benoit looked at his two friends on the dance floor, smiling slightly as he took a small sip of beer. He was glad that, after Jeff Hardy had left the WWE, Chris Jericho had slowly become Lita's best friend. Jericho was there for her when Jeff couldn't be—and Benoit was noticing that it was becoming more and more. He wondered if he should have a talk with the younger Hardy, but decided against it.

"Hello? Hello? Sorry, I can't hear you... Can I call you back in just a second?" Next to him, Edge tried to communicate on his cell phone. Chris stood and let Edge out of the booth as the blonde Canadian hung up the phone. "I'll be back in ten," Edge told Benoit, and disappeared through the throngs of people by the door. Chris leaned back, taking another sip of his beer, and struck up a conversation with Rob Van Dam.

* * *

Lita smiled at Chris Jericho, stepping away from him as the chords of 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" faded away. Chris opened his mouth to say something, but the shrill ringing of Lita's cell phone cut him off. With a guilty smile, the redhead flipped it open. Jericho looked at her, satisfied that her spirits had been lifted for the moment.

"Hello?" she said into the phone, her tone light and airy.

"Hello, Lita," the voice was smooth and slow.

"Who's this?" the redhead asked, her forehead creasing.

"You know who this is," he replied. Lita pressed a hand to her forehead and pursed her lips. No...not now. Not when she was just beginning to enjoy herself. Across from her, Chris set a hand on her shoulder, his face suspicious and worried. The redhead bit her lip, not saying a word. "You shouldn't dance with other men, Lita," the voice on the other end told her. "You should save all of your energy for me. We'll go out dancing night after night... You're my girl, Lita," he told her, his words slow.

Lita froze as the words sunk in. "I'll never be your girl!" she shouted into the mouthpiece suddenly, and hurriedly shut the phone, hanging up the call.

"Lita?" Chris asked hesitantly.

She looked at him, her pulse racing. He was here. "I've got to get out of here." Nodding, and not asking any questions, Chris grabbed her hand, and pulled her through the crowd and out the door.

* * *

"Hey, Edge," Chris Benoit greeted as the other man walked back to the table. "Who were you talking to?" he asked, curious.

"Vince," Edge answered as he slid into the booth. "He wanted to discuss a new angle for me," he rolled his eyes. "You know how it is."

Ten minutes later, Chris's cell phone rang. Rolling his eyes, and wondering why he bothered to bring it, Benoit answered it, plugging his other ear to hear better. "Benoit," he answered.

"Chris!" it was Lita's voice. Benoit looked up, immediately searching for her on the dance floor, and realizing she wasn't there. Worry shot through him. Where was she? What if the stalker found her? _'Damn it. I should've kept a better eye on her!' _he cursed to himself.

"Where are you?" Chris asked quickly.

"I'm in the hotel room with Jericho," Lita answered.

"Are you okay? Why did you leave without telling me?" Benoit asked, his questions rapid-fire. She was nervous, he could tell that from her voice.

"He called me while Chris and I were dancing," she told him. "He said I shouldn't dance with other guys...I hung up. _He's at the club_. Jericho and I came back here. I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." she trailed off.

"That's okay, don't worry," Benoit reassured her, but her words bothered her. The stalker had called her. How did he get her phone number? Chris's eyes moved next to him, catching sight of Edge. His throat caught. Edge had gone outside and made a call. "When did you leave?" Chris asked hurriedly.

"Ten minutes ago," Lita answered. Ten minutes ago, Edge had returned from outside. Was it more than coincidence? Benoit swallowed.

"Stay there with Jericho," Benoit ordered, "I'll be there as soon as I can," he broke the connection, grabbed his jacket, and departed.

Maybe—and maybe not—Edge's call had been a coincidence, but the fact that Lita had received a call on her unlisted cell phone number only pushed a theory that Benoit didn't like _at all_:

Lita's stalker was one of her friends.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A little shorter than usual, but I hope you like! Please review!


	6. Chapter 5

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 5**

Chris Benoit rushed into the hotel room that he and Lita shared. As he opened the door, he forced himself to keep his anger in check. _'Whoever this guy is...I want ten minutes alone with him. I'll kick his ass beyond recognition,' _he thought to himself. The redhead was sitting on the end of the bed, her face pale.

Chris Jericho had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, speaking softly to her. The blonde Canadian looked up as Benoit entered the room, a helpless look on his face. Whatever he had tried to soothe Lita had failed. Jericho froze at the look on Benoit's face. Something had happened, besides the call to Lita, and it disturbed the man.

Benoit nodded to Lita, knowing that any show to try and make her feel better would be useless. He sat down on the bed near the nightstand, picking up the phone and pulling a business card out of his wallet.

"Who are you calling?" Jericho asked.

"The detectives," Benoit answered swiftly, his fingers rapidly pressing the buttons.

"It can wait until tomorrow, you know," Lita said softly. Benoit put the receiver to his ear.

"Not this," he told her, his expression changing as the other end picked up. "This is Chris Benoit. I need to talk to Captain Moceri," there was a long pause. "There's been a development..."

Lita toned him out as she stared ahead, running her hand over her hair. Chris Benoit, Edge, Christian, Chris Jericho, Stacy, Rob Van Dam and Shane Helms had all been there at the club that night. Her cell phone that had rung, it was a private number, not one that she gave to the company. She only gave it out to her closest friends, and it was obvious that the person had been there. Chris Jericho—it couldn't have been him. He was with her when the phone had rung. It couldn't have been Stacy, or any of the Divas. Thankfully, she crossed those names off of her list. Chris Benoit. She lolled the name about her head, and immediately felt guilty. Chris Benoit had been with her from the start, her support beam. She was obnoxious to even consider him.

That left Christian, Edge, Rob Van Dam, and Shane Helms.

And, not to forget, Christian's phone call to her the other day... The question rang about her head once more, a question she'd forced to the back of her end earlier that night:

How had he gotten the phone number for her room?

* * *

Captain Moceri looked around the hotel room, and sighed inwardly at the sight of the young redhead. From what he had heard of her from those he'd asked she was a headstrong, brave woman. What must it feel like, for her to feel so helpless? Pushing those thoughts aside, Moceri walked in, eyeing Benoit. He looked understandably angry at himself. The captain walked inside, and pulled a chair up across from Lita and sat in it. She looked at him, her expression blank.

"Tell me what happened," he encouraged gently.

"Jericho and I were out at a club, dancing, when my cell phone rang. I opened it, and he was on the other end."

"What was your conversation like?"

"I asked him who he was, and he said I knew who he was. Then he said I shouldn't dance with other men; that we would go dancing together, and that I'm his girl. I shouted that I would never be his girl and hung up. Chris and I ran out."

"So it was obvious that the man was in the club with you?" he was rapidly jotting things down on a yellow pad of paper.

"Yes."

"Who has your cell phone number?"

"Only my closest friends... It's not listed anywhere, not even in my emergency cards or the WWE books. I could come up for a list for you, if you'd like."

"That'd be helpful," Moceri replied, nodding. "Who did you go to the club with?"

"Christian, Edge, Benoit, Jericho, Stacy, Rob Van Dam and Shane Helms," she answered, crossing the people off in her mind.

"I'll talk to them," he told her, and then sensed her hesitation. "Is there something else?"

She twisted her hands while she spoke. "Before we came in, we told the front desk to keep the fact that we are here private. Christian called me earlier tonight to see how I was and to invite me clubbing," she told him. Captain Moceri noted it down.

Chris Benoit sat next to Lita, the mattress dipping beneath his weight. "There's something else, too," he said, throwing a quick glance at Lita. "I was at the table when Jericho and Lita were dancing. Edge left the table and came back about the time that the two bolted out," he told him. "He said he was talking to Vince McMahon about a new angle. Lita turned to look at him, frozen. _'Edge...' _she thought, picturing the tall, handsome Canadian that had always been so nice to her. _'and Christian,' _an image of Christian appeared in her mind. A great friend, always there to make her laugh. _'Can it really be one of them?' _she frowned, closing her eyes tightly. She just wanted everything to be over and done with. No more helplessness, no more second-guessing her friends...

Captain Moceri stood. "I'm going to go and work with this at the station. Call me if there arey more developments," he told them, and stood.

"If you find anything out, call our number. I'll be up all night," Benoit told the captain, and Lita shifted uncomfortably. Did he really intend to stay awake all night long just for her? "Don't worry, Lita, I'll be fine," Benoit told her, catching her guilty gaze as Moceri left the room.

"I hate this," Lita announced a few minutes later, her hands curled up into fists. "I have to doubt everyone. I can't trust anyone except for you two," she announced, fighting and failing to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. "The person...he's my friend...I trusted him and liked him..." she repeated over and over. Benoit and Jericho did their best to comfort her, but there was not much they could do...

Because Lita was absolutely right.

* * *

It was nearly 3 A.M. and fatigue was beginning to set in Benoit when the phone began to ring. Beside him, Lita mumbled and rolled over. Jericho had left about 1, knowing the redhead was ready to sleep. Benoit reached over, picking up the phone, trying not to disturb Lita as he did so.

"Yes," he answered gruffly.

"This is Captain Moceri," was the response. There was hesitation in his voice, and then he continued. "We looked into Edge's cell phone records."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"It's a very fine line between legal and not, I'll put it to you that way. But that's not the point..." he inhaled deeply. "My point is this: Edge didn't call Vince McMahon, he called an unlisted number."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope you guys like this chapter—I liked writing it! I'm not sure—so don't hold me to this—but this story is probably going to be about 20 chapters long. Anyway... Please review!


	7. Chapter 6

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 6**

Chris Benoit had tried to convince Lita to go to Jericho's hotel room and hang out for the day, but Lita insisted to come with him to the police station to see Captain Moceri. Lita was still shaken, and Chris didn't know what to say to her. _"Oh, don't worry; I'm sure Edge was just joking around!" _Yeah, right. At the moment, the two were sitting down in Moceri's office, looking across the desk at him.

Captain Moceri looked over at the two before him, and chose his words carefully as he ran his hand over his bald head. "We managed to find the unlisted number that Edge called," he told them, and looked down at his notes before him. "555-2461," he looked up at Lita. "Is that your number?"

"No," she said softly, her voice tinged with relief.

"Lieutenant Porter is assembling a tracking team outside. We're going to call the number and see what we find. If Edge is the culprit, he could have had someone forward the call or three-way it to your phone."

Lita nodded numbly at his words, looking down at her hands. Edge, she thought silently, images flowing through her mind. How could he do this to her? "I can't believe it," she was hardly aware that she had spoken aloud. Did that broken voice really belong to her? Beside her, Benoit grasped her hand, squeezing it lightly. It comforted her more than he knew.

"I talked to a psychologist today," Captain Moceri spoke, pity in his heart for the woman before her. "We use her on a lot of our cases. She told me that there are most likely two types of people. Someone who is, in fact, obsessed with Lita, and believes she's under his control, and he owns her."

"Edge is my friend," Lita whispered, her voice hoarse. "He's never once acted like that."

"I mentioned it to her that that might be the case," he bit his lip before continuing. "Then she told me something very disturbing. There's a new psychological disorder coming up. It's nearly unpredictable. People who appear and function normally could have it, and no one would know. She said it was like having two minds in one body. Something triggers this other side of the person," he frowned. "I believe that is the case with Edge."

Lita closed her eyes softly, her mind telling her that the captain could very well be right, but her heart protesting. Edge could not have caused all of this! He cared about her like a sister! But if what the captain said was true... She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"When we go out there, you don't need to be there," Moceri was saying. Lita shook her head quickly. "All right then," he stood and motioned to the door. "The sooner the better." Benoit stepped through the door, and Lieutenant Porter was at his side, immediately asking questions. Moceri lightly gripped Lita's elbow, stopping her for a moment. "Did you tell him?" he asked softly.

"No," Lita responded, her eyes flaring. "I'm following your orders, Detective," she told him, and it was clear in her voice that she didn't like not being in charge.

"Listen, if we can't pin him down in two days, then at least he'll be caught then," Moceri snapped.

"Oh, and that makes me feel _much _better," Lita retorted, and jerked her arm away from him, walking quickly into the room.

Captain Moceri stood there for a moment, and then walked into the other room, signaling the lieutenant. He nodded to Benoit and then tapped a man on his shoulder who was sitting in front of a computer. "Dial it," Porter commanded, and the man nodded. Moceri handed Lita and Benoit each a pair of headsets.

"Hello, Boutell residence speaking," a female voice answered on the second ring.

"Ma'am, this is Detective Trevor Moceri speaking," the captain spoke quickly and smoothly. "I understand you've been in contact with a wrestler named Edge."

"Honey, who are you talking to?" a male voice asked in the background.

"A couple of the ladies from the golf club," the woman answered. Moceri and Porter made eye contact, communicating silently.

"Have you tracked it yet?" Moceri asked one of the men, covering the mouthpiece with one hand.

"It's an address in Toronto," was the reply. "I need more time."

"How about you come by tomorrow at 3:30?" the woman's voice was nervous.

"Yes. Where is your address?"

"5241 Bradbury Drive," she answered. "I have to go." After a few moments, the ring tone echoed in their ears.

"She telling the truth?" Moceri asked.

"Yes. The call came from 5241 Bradbury."

"I want a map, and the exact location," he ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Captain, can I have a talk with you?" it was Chris Benoit who spoke first, his tone level. Moceri nodded, and motioned to the door they came from.

"My office?" he suggested.

Benoit quickly walked there. When the detective walked in and closed the door, Chris's eyes bored into his. "I want an honest answer out of you." Moceri bowed his head in response. "In your opinion, is Edge her stalker?"

Captain Moceri looked through the glass at Lita. The redhead watched the action before her, her eyes lost and her arms wrapped around herself for comfort. Moceri returned his eyes to Benoit, and answered.

"I think it's a very strong possibility."

**Author's Note: **Sorry about the boring and short chapter, but it's going to start leading up from here on out! The story's probably going to end up being about fifteen chapters, so... Anyway... Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Please keep reviewing!

-Liz


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **I hope you guys like this chapter! Sorry though—only OC's in this chapter. Anyway... Please, please review!

**Disclaimer: **I own Captain Moceri, Lieutenant Porter, and Shauna Boutell. All of the wrestlers are © of the WWE.

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 7**

Captain Moceri stared across the small kitchen table at the woman sitting in front of him. His impression of the woman-Shauna Boutell-was a small, athletic, and distinctly nervous twenty-five to thirty year old. Her white-blond hair had been pulled up into a loose ponytail, and she was wearing a tight-fitted turquoise tank top and a pair of shorts. Moceri continued to study her, his eyes assessing. He was glad that he had convinced Lita to stay in the safe company of Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho for the day instead of coming here. There was a lot on her mind, he knew, a lot that she couldn't tell either one. But it was better for her to spend the day with friends than to worry about tomorrow night, he thought to himself. He turned his thoughts back to the present. Looking at Shauna Boutell, he just couldn't picture her as an accessory to this case—but that didn't mean much.

"Mrs. Boutell," he began, but she stopped him.

"Shauna, please," she whispered.

"Okay. Shauna, I understand you've been in contact with a professional wrestler named Edge recently," he said. Everything that came from his mouth was a fact, and prompted her to say more.

"Yes, I have," she responded, her voice still quiet. She was nibbling on her lower lip to what Moceri judged to be a nervous habit.

"Edge is now being looked at as a suspect in a stalking case. It would help immensely if you would tell me the nature of his call."

Shauna sighed, her blue eyes falling on a framed picture on one of the walls. His eyes followed her gaze. It was a wedding picture, he realized. A younger Shauna with her arms wrapped around the neck of a brown-haired, clean-cut man just a few inches taller than her. Moceri's eyes moved from the picture and continued to cut into Shauna. It was deathly obvious that she was hiding something. "My husband and I got married nearly a decade ago," she told him, now twisting her hands together. "We married as soon as we got out of college. We were so in love," she added, her tone wistful. "In the past two years, our relationship has kind of deteriorated," she paused, sighing. "I'm nearly thirty-two now. I want to have a child, and Rick, well... He's a successful business man. He..." Shauna stopped, rubbing her temple with one hand. "He's obsessed with his work. Rick leaves in the morning, just as I get up, comes home about eight at night, has dinner, and goes to bed. I guess I should be thankful for all that he's doing, I mean..." she gestured to the two-story house surrounding her. "We don't exactly live in a modest budget," she sighed once more.

The captain sensed a guilt trip coming-and a respondent closed-mouth-and he spoke quickly. "How did Edge come into all of this?"

"Four months ago, I was eating at Wendy's, and I noticed Edge there. I watch wrestling every now and then, so I went over there and asked for his autograph. He told me to sit down and have lunch with him, and I did. We got to talking, and he asked me to go to a club with him that night. I brought a few of my golfing friends along; just in case. You never know these days. Anyway..." she paused, tugging at her ponytail.

"You had a one-night-stand," Moceri said aloud, not one to beat around the bush.

She blushed. "Yes. I thought it was that, and I was terribly ashamed of myself for cheating on my husband." There was a long pause before she spoke again. "A month passed... Rick was starting to have 'late night meetings' and on his day off, he'd constantly go fishing with co-workers and whatnot. I'm not a suspicious woman, Captain. I called him once, to see if he would make it home for dinner, and a woman answered the phone. I didn't recognize her voice, but I heard Rick in the back; he was out of breath... This is exactly what he said: 'Come on baby, just hang it up. We've got some...unfinished business.' The woman squealed, and then she hung up." Shauna frowned. "I talked to him that night before he went to bed. He said that he was with James on his Jet Ski," her frown deepened. "If he had been with a female co-worker, he wouldn't have to lie to me. I don't care if he meets other women; it's not against the law for men to be friends with women. Hey, I'm friends with men; it should be vice versa, right? I called him once more, and he answered. I know he was trying to keep his voice calm, but I could hear a girl giggling in the back, and kissing noises."

"So you came to the conclusion that he was cheating on you."

"Is," she corrected. "He still is, but I don't approach him with it..."

"Because you're doing the same thing?" Moceri prompted. By the guilty look that suddenly creased her face, he knew he'd pinned the tail on the donkey, so to speak.

"It was about that time Edge called back," she admitted. "We started going out to dinners. I emphasized to him that we were just friends, but eventually it became more than friends. He's a wonderful person, Detective," she told him. "He called two nights ago, I believe... You see... Edge wants me to divorce Rick. I love him, and he loves me. The only thing standing in our way is my marriage to Rick," she looked Captain Moceri in the eye. "I'm going to tell Rick tonight, and ask him for a divorce."

Captain Moceri stood up; having gotten the information he wanted. It was a start, but hardly conclusive. The woman could be hiding something, but he knew that she wasn't going to sing a different tune anytime soon. "You might want to hold off on that," he told her, passing a business card to her.

She glanced at it, and then looked back up at him. "Because he's suspected of stalking a woman?" she asked, and he didn't respond, but she knew his answer. "It's only been two months since we've been together, but I feel I know him like the palm of my own hand." Captain Moceri looked at her, and she stared right back, meeting his eyes with a conviction that amazed the detective. "You can suspect him all you want, but I trust my heart, and my heart is telling me that Edge has nothing to do with this."

"No offense to you, ma'am, but you were also listening to your heart when you married Rick...and look how that turned out," with that, he turned and headed for the front door, leaving a brooding Shauna Boutell behind him, staring at the remnants of a good marriage. As soon as the oak door shut behind him, Captain Moceri pulled out his cell phone.

"Porter," was the answer he received.

"Moceri here," he announced to the other line.

"How'd it go?"

"It appears that Mrs. Boutell is having an affair with Edge," he climbed into his car, turning the keys in the ignition.

"Did she admit to helping Edge?"

"No. She appeared to know nothing about it and told me that Edge wouldn't do such a thing."

"Go figure."

Moceri pressed down on the accelerator, his eyes focusing on the road. "Listen. I want a surveillance team on that man. I want to know everything that he's doing. Get a temporary restraining order on him from Lita. If that man is within one hundred yards of her, arrest him."

"Yes, sir."

Captain Moceri hung up the phone with his chin and concentrated on driving to the nearby airport. His thoughts sped through his mind rapidly. Time was running out... Somewhere deep inside, he knew he wanted Edge to be the culprit.

Edge was his only lead. If Edge didn't turn out to be the stalker, he would have a hell of a time getting a new lead and catching the stalker before the next night. And if he didn't catch him by then...

There was a pretty good chance he'd be putting Lita's life in danger.


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Darn muses just won't stop for this story, so you're getting another chapter! Right now chapter six was just posted and I'VE GOT 50 REVIEWS NOW! YEY! -dances around- I love you guys! Anyway, keep reviewing please!

**Disclaimer: **Same as last chapter, folks.

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 8**

There was a ghost of a smile on Lita's face as she stepped into the warm tub water, inhaling the steam rising from it. It was rare that she had moments of leisure like this, and she knew she needed it now. She sighed as she realized that it was already Friday. It seemed like three years ago, not three days ago, that she had been reading that letter after the house show, and spilling those pictures onto the floor. Lita let out a long breath as she slipped into the tub, pushing away the urge to re-check that the deadbolt was in place on the hotel room door, and that the bathroom was still locked from the inside. The redhead curled her hands into fists, her thoughts quickly taking over. Last night, Captain Moceri had called, and told her about Shauna Boutell. The call was relieving to Lita, but the detective was still convinced that Edge had something to do with this. She now had a restraining order on Edge for one hundred yards-that was on until Monday, when they'd be at work in close proximity once more. Lita desperately wanted to call him, and apologize to him for bringing him into this mess that had become her life.

The letter.

Lita frowned suddenly. She'd gone mini-golfing with Jericho and Benoit after they'd had breakfast, and then, after seeing a movie at the local cinema, they'd came back to the hotel. It took some convincing for them to leave her, but Benoit and Jericho were currently next door in Jericho's room, playing video games. Both of them had only left her at her hotel room door with the promise that she was going and taking a relaxing bath, and then call them as soon as she got out. Lita sighed heavily. She was glad that they had. When she'd stepped into the room, sitting on the bed, was a single manila envelope. The redhead had grabbed the envelope, and dropped her duffel bag, and headed straight to the bathroom. Just like the others, she knew, there would be no fingerprints. Just like the others, the note would be typed and untraceable.

She had yet to open it. Lita picked up the envelope, holding it in her hands over the water. Almost instantly, she was back in her locker room, back on Tuesday night...

* * *

"_Look Li—" Chris sighed, running a hand over his brown hair. "I don't mean to upset you, Lita, but I'm worried about you."_

"_I'll be okay, Chris," Lita replied, more to assure him than be truthful. Because truth to be told, she wasn't too positive._

"_I'm starting to wonder if that's true," he replied seriously, shaking his head. Lita pushed open her locker room door, starting to say something in response. She stopped dead one step into her room, the words taken from her lips at the sight of four vases of flowers on the single desk in the room. Five tentative steps forward and she was grabbing the envelope between the vases, tearing it open and grabbing the letter. Her hands trembled as she read the letter._

_**Dearest Lita,**_

**_How have you been? You don't look so well. You should get some sleep. You want to look in tip-top shape when I come to visit Friday night, don't you? Yes, Lita, that's right. I'm coming to visit you on Friday. I'll take you away from this dreadful place, and to somewhere exotic, where we can be all alone, away from everyone. Do you like the flowers I sent you? I picked them out just for you. I must go now. Say your goodbyes to your friends, Lita. After Friday, you'll never see them again._**

_**All my love,**_

_**You-know-who**_

* * *

Lita sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She hadn't shown Chris Benoit-or any of her friends, for that matter-the letter. Only the detectives had seen it, and Moceri had made her promise not to tell anyone its content. The redhead let out a long breath, and opened the envelope in her hands, setting it aside as she pulled out the letter, that was, like she'd predicted, typed. She bit down on her lip as she read the letter.

**My Lita,**

**I'm excited about seeing you tonight. I know you are too. You shouldn't waste your time on Jericho or Benoit. I'm more of a man than either of them will ever be. Of course, you won't have to worry about that tonight. I'm going to take you away, Lita. Away from everyone. Pamper yourself, and be ready. I'll be there at six. If I see any cops around...someone is going to get hurt. And I'm not talking about the cops, dearest. I'm talking about your friends.**

**I'll see you at six, sweetheart.**

**Love,**

**Me**

Lita froze, her grip on the letter tightening. She tossed it aside, stood, and made her way to the bathroom counter, looking down at her watch that was lying by the sink.

5:35.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Okay, I'm on a roll again with this story. Good, right? Anyway... Apologies in advance, because this chapter is kind of short, and there's a cliffhanger at the end... Take you all so much for the reviews! They really do mean a lot to me! Please keep reviewing!

**Distribution: **None so far! If you want it, take it, just give me a link!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 9**

Her throat tightened, and she could feel the tears of helplessness springing to her eyes. Jaw clenched, she fought them down. _'Moceri will have everyone posted outside the hotel,' _she thought, her fear growing. If he saw them...he would hurt one of her friends. Lita sat down on the bed, her hands trembling. She had to get the cops away! But it would leave her totally alone, with only herself to rely on for strength. _'I could call someone to come in exactly at six!' _No, no. He was watching her, even now. He had probably bugged her phone calls. Lita felt tears sting her eyes, but she knew what she had to do. If the cops remained, someone would get hurt. It would keep on going. It was doubtful that the detectives could even find the suspect if they got more time.

Lita picked up the phone and dialed the number that she now knew by heart. She closed her eyes as it picked up.

"Moceri."

"Lita here."

"Hey, Lita. How are you doing?"

"Okay, a little relieved," Lita bit on her lip once more, hating the fact that she had to lie.

"I'm a little curious as to why," he told her.

"I got another letter in my room," she told him. "He basically reprimanded me for telling the cops about the meeting, and said the next time he set one up I'd better not to the same. He said he wasn't going to come tonight."

"I'll come over right away," he promised. Lita swore inwardly.

"Detective...Can't it wait until tomorrow?" she asked pleadingly. "Look, I know it's an important clue or whatever, but it's going to be the same thing as the others. I really just want to relax for the rest of the night," her voice was pleading.

"I suppose that will be okay," Captain Moceri said, and it was clear in his voice he'd rather be on his way to her hotel. Lita forced herself to not say anything else. _"He's coming in less than a half an hour!" _she wanted to scream, but she couldn't.

"Thank you...for everything, Captain," Lita said, her chest tightening as she glanced at the clock. 5:48. Her hands began to tremble again. "Goodnight," she whispered into the phone, letting a tear roll down her cheek as she dangled the phone over the cradle.

"Lita-" Captain Moceri began to say. There was something wrong, he knew it, by her voice.

_Clank. _The phone fell against its cradle, hanging up on the detective and cutting off his sentence. Lita turned away from it, hugging herself for comfort. _Twelve minutes... _She pursed her lips tightly, trying to stop her hands from shaking. Everything seemed to start moving a faster pace. The redhead stood up, making her way to the bathroom, her head dizzy with fear. She stumbled through the bathroom, rifling through everything. _'Weapon...I need a weapon,' _her eyes blurred with tears as objects clattered to the floor. Finally, her hand reached a nail file, the closest thing to a weapon she could find. She tried to brush the tears from her cheeks. _'Calm down,' _she willed herself, but she was too far gone into panic to notice. Lita sat down on the lid of the toilet, putting her head in her hands.

Suddenly, a beeping noise filled the room. Lita jerked and her eyes widened. The realization that it was simply her watch telling her that it was six o'clock did nothing at all to quell her feel. Shakily, she stood, gripping the nail file in her sweaty hand. Lita made her way to the bathroom door, inhaling deeply. She grabbed the doorknob, and flung the door open, her eyes snapping around the room.

No one was there.

Her eyes fell on the small table near the window. Pulse racing, she stepped slowly to it. On top of it, a small metal vase was placed, two red roses inside. Lita tried to slow her breathing as she approached, and failed miserably. Her hand reached out, plucking the small card between the roses.

**Lita...**

**Turn around.**

Her heart pounded against her chest, and she found herself out of breath. Lita swallowed tightly, her grip on the nail file increasing. She could feel her entire body shaking, and willed herself to stay where she was, but, with a mind of its own, her body turned.

Lita swallowed the scream building in her throat, terror replacing the fear. She stepped back, pumping against the table. The vase tilted, and clattered to the carpeted floor. Lita raised her hand with the nail file only slightly, her breathing coming quick. The redhead barely recognized her voice.

"B...B-Benoit?!"


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Okay, okay... So the last chapter was a cliffhanger. And the chapter before it. And now, this one is, kinda sorta. I'm _sorry!_ I hate cliffhangers as much as you do, but it's just fun to write them! I hope you guys like this chapter! I wrote it as soon as I wrote Chapter 9, and rather quickly, so I'm sorry if there are some errors and whatnot. Anyway...please review!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 10**

Captain Moceri frowned as he heard the phone hang up. Something was wrong... He could tell in her voice; her _shaking _voice. She was afraid of something... A thought struck him, and his frown deepened. _'She's hiding something in that letter,' _the thought was a chilling one. She was afraid. Moceri felt the adrenaline rushing through him. He opened a desk drawer, pulling out his gun and holster. He nearly ran out of his office, much to the surprise of Lieutenant Porter and the rest of the officers.

"Where are you going?" Lieutenant Porter questioned, his eyes assessing as Moceri pulled on his blue jacket.

"Lita's hotel room," he said. "Send a team after me," he ordered.

"Sir..." Porter stared at him as if the captain had lost his mind. "The two officers we have posted would have told us if something was out of the ordinary," he reminded him. "There's no need to send another team, or for you to go, for that matter."

Captain Moceri whirled on his heel, walking up to Porter so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. "Listen to me, Porter," he snapped. "_Something is wrong_. I am _ordering_you to send a team—no, send two—after me." Porter frowned deeply. "Do you hear me?" Moceri shouted, and Porter nodded. With that, Captain Moceri hurried out the door, ducking into a squad car and driving away, tires squealing against the pavement.

Lieutenant Porter watched with cool eyes as two officers stood up to follow Moceri. His movements fast, he pulled out the gun holstered at his hip, aiming it at the standing men. "Sit down, officers. Nobody is going anywhere."

* * *

Stacy Keibler sighed to herself as she walked down the hallway of the hotel. She bit her lip as she knocked on a door to the apartment belonging to Chris Jericho. The blonde had been genuinely worried about Lita as of late. She knew it was best to leave Lita be, but she wanted to get assurance that the redhead was doing better now. Stacy knew Lita had been hanging out with Chris Jericho a lot, so she decided to stop by. _'Okay, so maybe it's just not because she's been hanging out with him a lot,' _she thought to herself, a mental image of Chris manifesting itself in her mind. She smiled at the image. It was well-known among the Divas that Stacy had a crush on the blonde Canadian, but was too scared to do a thing about it.

Stacy pushed the thoughts away and knocked again, louder this time. Nobody answered. The Diva frowned. "Chris!" she yelled loudly. "Chris!" There was no reply. Stacy put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it.

The door was unlocked.

"I'm coming in!" she announced, and pushed the door open. Her eyes immediately fell downward before her at a fallen, bloody Chris Jericho. "Oh my god!" she shrieked, running and kneeling by his side. "Chris..." she reached out, but didn't know whether or not to touch him. Blood was covering his face from a wound on his forehead. "Oh my god," Stacy repeated to herself, and then swallowed tightly. She reached out, pressing two fingers to his neck. To her immense relief, she felt a steady pulse beneath them. "Chris? Can you hear me? Chris!" she shouted loudly.

He didn't reply, but his eyelids fluttered, but fell shut once again.

"Hang in there," Stacy told him, unsure if he could hear her or not. The blonde stood, rushing toward the phone in the hotel room.

"9-1-1 emergency," a voice promptly answered. "What services do you need? Fire, medical, or police?"

"Medical," Stacy said hurriedly, trying to keep her voice calm. There was a loud beep, and another dispatcher answered, asking her questions about Chris. The woman promised an ambulance on its way. Stacy hung up, taking a towel and pressing it gently against his forehead like the woman had instructed. With her free hand, she pushed his hair from his forehead. "It's going to be okay, Chris," she told him soothingly.

"M...Mal..." Chris mumbled, obviously trying to say something. Stacy pressed a finger to his lips.

"Shh... Save your energy, Chris," she told him, and he fell silent.

Stacy fought the urge to cry, and waited for the ambulance to arrive.

'_Hang in there, Chris,' _she pleaded silently.

* * *

Lita stared at Chris Benoit, her eyes wide. _'No...' _she couldn't believe it. He'd been next to her the entire time. Offering support, swearing against the man who had done this to her, when all along hewas the one who had done this to her. Her hands shook, and she lifted the one with the nail file in it as a warning. "Don't come any closer!" she said.

Chris Benoit looked confused, freezing midway through a step. "Li... What's the matter?" he asked. He took a tentative step forward.

"DON'T!" Lita screamed, raising the nail file again.

"Lita, put the file down," Benoit told her gently. _'Dead by a nail file,' _he thought wryly. _'Now that's a way to die.' _Knowing it was no time for jokes, sarcastic or otherwise, he pushed the thought away. "I have no idea what is going on, okay?" he told her.

"Liar!" Lita snapped, stepping back, her lower back hitting the table once more. "I can't believe it... You..." she trailed off, unable to speak anymore.

"What's going on?!" Chris asked again, his voice worried. He was dumbfounded by Lita's attitude. Benoit opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as something slammed into the back of his head from behind.

The redhead shrieked as Benoit fell down. Her eyes went from him, and snapped up to his attacker.

Her blood ran cold as he spoke.

"Hello, dearest."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so those of you who thought that it wasn't Benoit were right! Horrah! And I managed to go another chapter without telling you guys who the stalker is! :) Mwahahahaha! You shall never know! Actually, just kidding. Already wrote the next chapter, and you find out then. I'm not gonna go back and change it, lol, not quite that evil! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! Please, please review! (C'mon! 100 reviews before the story ends! We can do this!)


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Okay, it is official. I am nuts. I just wrote four chapters for this story in a row in one day. That's some crazy crap there. Lol. And yes, in this chapter, you find out who Lita's stalker is! Yey! I don't want to give anything away, so I'll be quiet now! I hope you guys like and please review!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 11**

Oh, God... Lita closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. "It's not a dream, sweetheart," the man spoke again, stepping closer to her. The redhead took a threatening step forward, the nail file pointed at him. He chuckle. "Is that supposed to scare me?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting. He took a step forward, only two feet between them. Lita felt her heart pounding against her chest.

"How did you know where I was?" Lita asked, and he laughed.

"Blending in is a special skill of mine," he said. "It didn't take much," he added.

"My hotel room was dead-bolted every night."

"I posed as part of the cleaning crew and got the keycard," he shrugged. "It was a simple matter to move the deadbolt." Lita swallowed, her eyes growing wide as he took another step, tilting his head. "You really aren't going to hit me with that nail file, are you?" he asked, eyes glittering maliciously.

Lita inhaled deeply, stepping back. _'Keep him talking,' _she urged herself, and found her voice once more. "But you couldn't get pictures with Chris in here, could you?" she asked softly.

He chuckled, taking a moment to pull a pack of pictures from the back pocket of his jeans. "On the contrary, I did." He tossed them at her. Hands shaking, she caught them and pulled them out, looking at them while keeping an eye on him as well. She could see the amusement in his eyes. Lita looked down at the pictures. They were dark, no flash, but she could see her own face in the glow of the clock. She froze on a picture of Benoit, sleeping in a chair pulled up near the door. There was a rag over his face.

"Chloroform," the man said proudly with a chuckle. "He never knew what hit him."

Lita looked down at the fallen form of the man, feeling instantly guilty that she had thought he had been the stalker. She could see the blood starting to form at the back of his head, and wanted desperately to help him, but she knew it would be stupid to even try. As if reading her thoughts, the man kicked Benoit aside with his foot and stepped closer. "So, Lita... You ready to come with me?" he asked.

The redhead clenched her fists tightly. _'He's going to take you no matter what you do,' _she told herself. _'Delay him, keep him talking... Stall... Someone is found to come in.'_ She stepped to the right a little, her eyes on his. "Listen, you've tried this before," she said, her voice shaky. "And look how that turned out! You were forcibly retired from the WWE by the—"

"Shut up!" he howled, anger flashing in his eyes. Lita inhaled sharply, realizing that it had been a mistake. "When I first saw you Lita, I knew you were the one," his eyes widened as he spoke. Lita felt tears of fear roll down her face. "You didn't want me. You despised me," he hissed, his upper lip curling. "I tried to tell you that we are soul mates, but you didn't listen. You tricked me," his breathing was heavy. "Your stupid friends attacked me!" he walked toward her, and she shrunk back.

"Please—"

He grabbed her shoulder roughly, and Lita reacted, kicking him in the groin. He let out a hiss of pain, and backhanded her across the face. Lita felt into a heap, grabbing her now-throbbing cheek. Her legs were shaking. She could hear his heavy breathing behind her, and she knew she'd crossed a line. The nail file had fallen from her hand—and what good would that have done, anyway? The redhead raised her head from the carpeting, and saw the metal vase inches from her vase. She reached out and grabbed it as he approached her from behind. She whirled around just as his hand grabbed her shoulder, and slammed the vase into his forehead. He fell back, and Lita sensed her chance to escape. She began to crawl, trying to stand, but her legs kept giving out. She reached the door, when she heard a clicking noise. Lita knew she shouldn't turn, but she did, and froze.

He was holding a pistol to Chris's head.

* * *

Stacy wrung her hands nervously as she paced back and forth in the hospital. They had just arrived, and Chris had been rushed away on a gurney. The blonde pursed her lip, worry in her eyes. Who had done this to him? She was too antsy to sit down in a chair. 

_M...Mal...ko..._

He had been trying to tell her something in the ambulance. Malko. It didn't sound familiar at all. She ran a hand through her hair.

_Lita! Lita!_

She frowned deeply, remembering when he had shouted out the redhead's name. Stacy froze suddenly. Was Lita in trouble? She bit her lip, nervously trying to remember anything that the blonde Canadian had said to her on the trip to the hospital.

_De...Dean...Mal...ko..._

_Dean Malko. _Stacy closed her eyes. Put together, there was something familiar about the name that tickled her senses. _Lita. _Was Dean Malko her stalker? Who _was _Dean Malko? God, it was there! She just couldn't remember! She focused her mind on the WWE. He had to have been there at some point, right? Stacy licked her lips. It was useless. He could've been a handyman or stagehand or something for all she knew!

But it was still there, that feeling of recognition. _'Dean,' _she thought to herself, _'Concentrate on a Dean. There had to have been something between Dean and Lita.'_

Suddenly, it hit her.

"Dean Malenko!" she shouted to the empty waiting room, fear hitting her cold. She closed her eyes tightly. How much of an idiot could she be? Only a few years ago, he had done nearly the same damn thing to Lita. Who was to say he wouldn't try again, fired or not? Was Dean Malenko the one who attacked Chris?

She was sure of it.

"Oh my god," she whispered. Dean was Lita's stalker.

And he was in her hotel room.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter is up due to the insistent whining of my good friend, Ani. Lol, I'm just kiddin'. Love ya Ani! Anyway, I hope you guys liked this! Please review! 


	13. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **Okay, okay. So I did decide that I would wrap things up with this story, give you twisted-and-confused people some easy reading. But I didn't want a simple ending! So you get this. Deal with it! Lol. Mwhahahahaha. Hang in there, the ride is almost up! This chapter is more...simplistic, so keep in mind that the ending is over quite a few chapters.

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 12**

Stacy nearly leapt out of her car when she reached the police station, running through the door. She was so worried, so hurried, that she didn't realize the expressions on the other officers' faces. "I need help!" she shouted to the empty room. "Lita is in trouble! The stalker is _in her room! _You have to send people to help her!"

Lieutenant Porter turned to face her, the gun still cocked in his hand, but his hand now at his side. Stacy glanced down at his hand, and saw the gun, taking one step back. "Why is your gun—" she was cut off as Porter leapt for her, his left hand covering her mouth and pulling her to him, his right hand lifting the gun to her temple. He knew it had only been a matter of time until one of the officers made a move—after all, they knew what to do. It was sheer luck that Stacy had come running in when she did.

"Anybody makes a move, she dies," Porter threatened.

The officers looked from one another, unsure of what to do. They obviously couldn't follow normal hostage protocol—Lieutenant Porter hadn't earned his status without being damn good at what he did. Two things weighed in on the men's and women's minds: the safety of the blonde before them and the safety of a lone Captain Moceri, and Lita's as well.

Lieutenant Porter eyed them all, his finger wrapping around the trigger. They knew better than to jump. Human instinct made muscles tighten, and if his did, Stacy would be no more. He could feel the leggy blonde shaking in his arms, and he smirked. All he had to do was wait here until he got the message on his cell phone, saying the job was done. Then, he would go, and collect the other half of the money he had been promised.

It was up to the officers before him if Stacy lived through it or not.

* * *

"Lita, sweetie, I can blow your dear friend's brains out right now, or you can step away from the door," Dean said, his eyes glittering maliciously. Lita stepped away from the door slowly, her legs trembling beneath her, her breath coming in short gasps. _'Someone come...please...help me,' _she pleaded inwardly, sidestepping until she was back where she started in the spot of the room furthest from the door. "Good," Dean said, stepping away from Benoit. Without the support, Benoit fell back to the ground, still unconscious. Lita's eyes flew to the lead pipe lying on the bed, no doubt what he had attacked Chris with.

"D-Dean," she spoke, a lump in her throat. "I can't leave now. I haven't said goodbye to everyone and..." she trailed off as the pistol was suddenly pointed at her chest.

His eyebrows were raised and each word emphasized as he spoke. "We can be together in life, or death. It's your decision. Come with me, or don't." He extended his hand to her, his finger wrapping around the trigger. Slowly, Lita extended her hand, and he grabbed it, yanking her to him, a grin on his face. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She closed her eyes, her stomach rolling, silently praying and begging for something to happen to stop Dean.

"Dean, please...I don't want to leave my friends," she told him as he walked toward the door, his hand tight on hers. She inhaled sharply and fell silent as she saw his grip on the gun at his side tighten. Lita stepped forward, feeling the strain on her arm from him half-dragging her. He stopped in front of the door, and then turned to her, cupping her chin with one hand as he slipped the pistol into his leather jacket. "You say a word, sweetie, you're dead, five bystanders are dead, and the last bullet will be mine," he told her and she nodded, her expression tight with fear.

As they walked through the lobby, Lita walked next to Dean, her eyes flying over the crowded lobby. She bowed her head, trying to quell the instinct in her trying to force her to run. Dean was still holding her hand, and Lita felt pain nipping at her knuckles, but her mind was so intent on everything else, she couldn't think straight, let alone feel the pain. Dean pushed through the revolving doors, and they walked toward the parking lot. The sky was clouded with gray clouds, rain pounding down at them. Lita ducked her head, a part of her telling her that it was suicide to go into a car with that man.

But what choice did she have? Lita looked at her black boots as she walked, the rain and fear combined chilling her to the bone. They reached the hood of the black sedan, and Dean faced her, his eyes cutting into hers. "I'm going to let go of your hand. If you run away, keep in mind that I can pull this trigger faster than you can run out of my line of fire." She nodded, scared.

Suddenly Dean stumbled forward with a grunt. Lita fell to the ground, the water soaking the bottom of her jeans. The redhead quickly crawled away. She could feel her jeans tearing against the pavement, but it seemed like such a trivial thing. When she reached the rear wheels of the sedan, Lita collapsed against one, her energy drained. She hugged her knees, hearing the sounds of a battle taking place, but seeing nothing. Her mind willed her to move, but her body would not respond. Tears rolled down her face, mingling with the rain. She sobbed, praying desperately in that moment, and hoping against all hopes that whoever had attacked Dean was winning the fight. There was a crash of shattering glass, and she jumped, gasping and looking up.

"Lita!" a voice called through the rain. Lita looked up, her heart still pounding. She knew that voice... Her eyes widened as he walked around the sedan, locking eyes with her.

Matthew Hardy took one look at the sobbing, soaking wet Lita, and then gathered her in his arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter! And sorry to all of the Matt/Lita shippers, even though Matt is her savoir, that just isn't going to happen. I'm not a particular fan of Matt Hardy, but what the hey, I figured he fit in the part well enough. Drama, drama, drama lol. Okay, my point: no Matt/Lita. I have enough Matt/Lita fics. Anyway... I just posted the last chapter, so this is another early guy, which is good! I hope you guys enjoy, and please review! 


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **I'm going to warn you in advance: the rating for this chapter and maybe one or two chapters after is probably going to be a stronger PG: 13. Yeah, I'm not in a good mood. It will probably be just for violence, anyway. Nothing too gruesome. Thank you all so much for the reviews and please keep reviewing!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 13**

"Matt," Lita whispered, her eyes filling with joyful tears. She clung to him tightly. It no longer mattered that Matt had betrayed her so long ago. He had saved her from Dean, and that was all that hung in her mind at that moment. Matt looked down at her, and picked her up in his arms, making his way through the parking lot. "We have to go back," Lita protesting suddenly, twisting in his arms. "Chris! He's hurt bad!" desperation came through her voice.

"He'll be fine, Lita. The police are on their way; they'll take care of him. But we've got to go," Matt said urgently as they reached his truck. The redhead stared at the navy blue Silverado for a moment, and then spoke.

"Why do we have to go? If the cops are on their way..." she trailed off.

"Lita, honey, just trust me," Matt said soothingly to her, and she nodded. He walked to the passenger side, opening the door and setting Lita on the seat. Matt slammed the door, and then slid into the driver's seat, gunning the engine and pulling away from the parking space.

"Dean could get away," Lita whispered suddenly as they approached his car.

"I don't think he's going anywhere, at least not until he regains his consciousness," Matt told her, and passed her a blanket from the backseat. "Here. Take this and put your seat heater on."

Lita nodded, numbly placing the blanket over her. Her eyes snapped to Dean's car as they passed it. The passenger seat's window was shattered, and Dean was laying half-in-half out of the vehicle, his back on the seat. The car continued to move, blocking her view of Dean. The redhead curled her knees into her chest, directing the warm heat coming from the fans onto her. Surrounded by warmth, and safe, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Captain Moceri frowned as he took the stairs two at a time to the third floor. He hadn't seen any flashing lights behind him. The thought buzzed around his brain, but he had no time for it. He drew his gun as he reached the third level, walking slowly up to Lita's room. The door was partially opened. Moceri put his hand on the door and pushed, jumping in the doorway and aiming his gun into it. He quickly went through the room; finding the only sign of life to be Chris Benoit.

He holstered the pistol and knelt down in front of the severely dazed wrestler. "Where's Lita?" he asked, and Benoit shook his head, slowly sitting up, his back against the nightstand.

"I don't know," he whispered, wincing at the pounding in the back of his head. "Someone attacked me from behind," he said, angry at himself. He touched the back of his head and drew his hand back, his fingers sticky with blood.

"You okay?" Moceri asked, seeing the crimson blood on his fingers.

"I'm fine," he slowly stood, using the nightstand to do so. Captain Moceri steadied him. "Just get me a towel and let's go."

"What do you mean?"

"We have to find Lita, and I'm coming with you!" Benoit said determinedly. Knowing that it would just waste more time to argue with him, Moceri grabbed a towel from the bathroom. Benoit placed it against the back of his head and they made their way to the door.

'_Please let Lita be okay,' _Benoit mentally pleaded as they jogged down the stairs.

* * *

Lita woke up with a start, fear immediately seizing her senses when she realized she was in an area she didn't recognize. The truck was parked on the side of a road at the top of the hill, and Matt wasn't there. The keys weren't in the ignition, either. The redhead fumbled with the locks for a moment, and then stumbled out. The rain had stopped, but the cold chilled her wet skin. Lita looked down the hill, seeing the puddles. She stepped back from the slope, knowing it would be a long way down. Her eyes traveled further, immediately seeing that the hill led into a large, glittering black pool of water. She turned away from it, stepping toward the back of the truck.

Suddenly Matt stepped in front of her, lantern in his hands. Lita screamed out of surprise, and then let out a long breath, realizing that it was just him. "Sorry to scare you, Lita," he said, lifting the lantern up. "I went to a pay phone to call Captain Moceri to tell him what just happened."

Lita frowned, taking a step backward. The lantern cast an eerie light on Matt. Her pulse quickened as she looked around. There were no buildings in the dark settling in around them, not to mention any pay phones. Her eyes snapped to Matt. She had never told him about Captain Moceri taking her case. How did he know? Lita swallowed tightly, taking another step back. How would he have known if the police were on their way? Why did he insist to flee? "How did Dean get my private phone number?" she asked suddenly, barely aware she'd asked the question aloud.

Matt stepped forward, a sinister smile on his face. "Because," he whispered, "I gave it to him."

* * *

**Author's Note: **The muses have been very kind to me... I just posted Chapter 11 about one or something this morning, and now I've finished writing this chapter! Sorry if this chapter (or the next) seem kind of...bad or different to you, I wrote them after I found out my hamster died. Stupid as it sounds, Trix was my furball of a best friend. She was old for a hamster though, like three and a half, so I suppose it was just her time.

Onto happier news...

108 reviews! Wow! I love you guys! Thank you all so much for reviewing! It really means a lot to me. It sucks that the story will be ending soon... I really enjoyed writing it (still am, but the way I've thought it out will probably have it end at about twenty chapters, so only a few more to go). This is one of the few stories I have that I actually know where I'm going, and because this one is shorter, it's been good. Anyway, I'll leave the sap at that for the moment, but you aren't done with me! The epilogue is coming... :)

Anyway, please continue to review! I hope you enjoyed it!


	15. Chapter 14

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 14**

Lita froze, a shiver running down her spine at his words. She felt tears spring to her eyes. Here she was, all alone and nearly defenseless against Matthew Hardy. The redhead had no idea what he wanted from her, but she knew it wasn't good. "Matt...why?" she whispered. He laughed, taking a step closer to her.

"Because I can, Lita," he replied.

"You helped Dean," she said.

"He thought I was, yeah. You see, Dean is giving me the perfect reason that I need to cover this up."

"This?" she whispered.

He grinned, his eyes glittering. "Your death."

"How is that?" Lita said, her throat constricting.

Matt pointed forward. Lita looked quickly, and froze. There was her car sitting at the end of the slope, the front two wheels in water. "You see, Dean left you another letter, saying he'd be there at six. You freaked out and attacked your two best friends, and got stopped in the hallway by an old friend. He tried to console you and take you to the hospital, but as soon as you reached his van, you assaulted him, and shot him in the forehead with his own gun," Matt pulled Dean's gun out of his jacket, leaving his arm at his side. After you did that, you climbed into your car and drove off."

"You killed Malenko," Lita whispered with realization, remembering the way the blood formed at his forehead, the glazed look in his eyes as he looked toward the roof of the car...

"No, Lita. _You_ did," Matt stepped closer. She instinctively took a step back, and slipped in a puddle of dirty. Her back hit the puddle, mud splashing in her eyes. Lita slid a few feet down, and tried to regain her footing as Matt slowly descended down on her. "You drove your car here, and you missed the turn," his eyes were wide by now. "You drove your car into the lake and got submerged. I saw your car, and called the ambulance." Lita shook her head desperately, standing up. "By the time the ambulance arrived, Lita Dumas was already dead."

"Matt, you don't have to do this," she told him, begging. "Please, don't."

"I don't have to do this...but I want to," Matt said. Lita was crying in fear by now. She tried to bolt to his left, her shoes slipping against the puddles. Matt grabbed her by the arm and flung her backward. She fell head over heels, sliding down the hill, mud splattering all over her body, in her hair. The redhead landed stomach-down, her eyes facing the water. Suddenly, Matt was by her side. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her to her feet.

His grip strong, he walked to the water, dragging Lita with him. When he got there, he used his other hand to grab more of her hair, and flung her into the water. Lita gasped as the freezing water slammed around her. She immediately went up for air. The drop-off was quick. Only four or so feet in, and, standing on her heels, the water came to her neck. The breeze that seemed non-existent earlier suddenly seemed like gusts of ice rampaging against her face. Lita panted for breath, and heard Matt splash into the water. The sky had darkened now, and she could only see different degrees of dark shadows. Suddenly, Matt's hand was around her chin, his eyes bearing down on hers. "Any last prayers, sweetheart?"

* * *

"Did you see Lita go through that door?" Chris Benoit's voice was sharp and quick as he addressed one of the employees at the front desk of the hotel.

"I...I..."

"This is really important," Captain Moceri added, and the young woman looked down to the gun in his hand, and then back to Benoit.

"She left with some guy about a half an hour ago."

"What'd he look like?" both the captain and Chris listened intently to her dead-on, detailed description of Dean Malenko. Benoit cursed and strode away, walking quickly to the parking lot, Captain Moceri hot on his heels. "I saw him getting into a dark sedan!" the woman yelled after them.

"Do you recognize the description?" he asked. 

"Yes," Chris Benoit said through gritted teeth, looking around at the cars. "My former teammate, Dean Malenko. We were in a team called the Radicalz together," he looked over the cars, praying that it was still there. "We broke up, some stuff happened, and then he began to stalk Lita."

"You're sure he's the stalker now?"

"Yes, but I wasn't talking about now. He's stalked her before."

"And I didn't know about this why?"

"Matt and Jeff Hardy, her best friends at the time, beat him up and eventually Dean was forced to retire. When he did, he literally dropped out of everyone's lives," Benoit told him, and spotted Dean's car, immediately running toward it.

"What the hell?" Moceri said as they slowed in front of the vehicle. Dean was halfway through the window, lying on his back, a bullet hole through his forehead. They both stared at the body for a moment, and then Moceri whipped out his cell phone.

"Who are you calling?" Benoit asked.

"Lieutenant Porter. He was supposed to send squads after me." Moceri listened as the desk phone rang and rang.

"I didn't like the way he was looking at Lita," Benoit told him.

Moceri frowned at Benot just as the phone picked up. "Who is this?" Porter's rugged, stressed voice hissed through the phone.

"Moceri. You were—" he was cut off as the phone hung up. His eyes met with Benoit's. "Damn it," he hissed, moving to dial another number when his phone rang. He took one look at the caller ID and answer. "Yeah?"

"This is Surveillance Team Two. We've lost sight of our subject."

"What? You lost Edge?"

"His car pulled out onto the highway. He was doing some crazy driving, and we lost him. We're trying to find him now, but its going to be one hell of a miracle if we do."

Moceri cursed beneath his breath, and then spoke into the phone. "Try to find him," he said, and then hung up, looking at Chris Benoit, who looked understandably confused.

"What's going on?"

"Edge got away."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Here you go, with another chapter! I've just posted chapter 12. These muses are awesome! It's gonna suck leaving them... Anyway, please review! 


	16. Chapter 15

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 15**

Stacy Keibler could feel her body shaking as Lieutenant Porter continued to hold the gun to her temple. Authorities from a station not to far from the one they were at had shown up. She wasn't sure how they knew, but she knew it was the doing of one of the officers before her. Maybe they had gotten the call in discreetly without Porter knowing, she didn't know. The blonde tried to think positively about the situation, but it was impossible. There were tons of police officers surrounding her, but they couldn't do anything without endangering her life. She could sense Porter getting increasingly nervous. He kept shifting his grip on the gun-nearly giving her a heart attack every time he did-and his hands were sweating. His voice was loud, and it was clear that he was panicking.

"Release the hostage, and we'll see that you don't spend the rest of your life in jail." The sound of the negotiator's voice over the 'safe phone' reached her ears. It was lying only two feet away, the receiver on the floor so they could hear.

Lieutenant Porter wiped the sweat off of his upper lip, his eyes darting across the room to the unarmed, tense officers. Where the hell was Dean? He had thought it would be so simple, the way Malenko had explained it to him. Take the $10,000 dollars now, and make sure no one made it to the hotel around six. When the job's done, he'd be wired another $10,000. Porter figured the guy was crazy, but he was offering a lot of money.

"Please...let me go," in his arms, the pretty blonde whimpered. He looked down at her and pushed the gun against her head with more force.

"Shut your mouth," he hissed, and she fell silent. _'God damn it, where's the page? The job should be done by now...' _He knew, though, page or not, he needed to find a way out of the mess, _now._ Porter grabbed Stacy's waist with his other arm, making his way out of the door, essentially using her as a shield. "I'm coming out! If anyone tries to stop me, she dies!" he shouted, and stepped out sideways, immediately backing against a wall. There were about ten police cars, and twenty officers.

Stacy wrapped her hand around his forearm that held the gun weakly. Her eyes fell on the officers, standing behind the car doors, their guns pointed at Porter. Stacy swallowed. She knew that if she didn't move fast, there was a good chance that she would end up getting hurt.

She didn't know if the move she made was out of sheer panic, or out of some instinct, but it saved her life.

Stacy threw one of her legs up backwards, her shoe hitting him in the groin. She used all of her body strength in her arm, pushing the gun away from her. His finger wrapped around the trigger squeezed.

The gun fired, the bullet hitting the door. Stacy dived away from Porter, and the officers immediately descended on Porter. An officer rushed to help Stacy, asking if she was all right. Stacy nodded numbly, her eyes watching as Porter was pushed against the wall and handcuffed. Suddenly, a thought hit her.

She was safe.

* * *

Edge looked in the rear-view mirror, and frowned. It had been stupid, he knew, to ditch the officers watching him. But he couldn't help it.

He had been sitting in the parking lot of the hotel, getting ready to step out and go inside, when Matt Hardy's car had gone veering past him. That in itself wasn't that odd—Matt wasn't particularly the best driver around in the company. Edge had seen Lita sitting in the seat next to him, and he had immediately changed gears, following in pursuit of the car.

Lita had no reason to be in a car with Matt after what he'd done to her. Edge couldn't help but think, with all this stalker business, could Matt be the culprit? He knew it could turn out to be something entirely different, maybe they made up, but...

He didn't know how to explain it. He'd had this feeling, all day, that something was wrong. He was pretty damn sure that this was it.

So maybe it was something else, but Edge couldn't take it if something happened to his friend because of him. He was sure by now that Moceri had been informed of his absence. In the other man's eyes, that would just seal his guilt as the culprit. Edge shook his head, his eyes focusing on the road as he circled it again. He had been driving the same roads for at least twenty minutes now. It seemed to be the same thing everywhere he turned—dark, shadowed trees and a black paved road lit by his headlights.

Edge took out his cell phone, dialing Moceri's number quickly. The phone picked up immediately.

"Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in my car—"

"You purposely lost your surveillance team!"

"Shut up and listen to me!" Edge yelled, surprising and silencing the captain. "I saw Matt Hardy leave in his truck with Lita. I tried to follow them, but I lost them. I'm by the Greenwood Lake."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I'm Lita's friend, God damn it! I know it seems like I have a part in all of this, but I don't! I swear to you that I would do nothing to hurt Lita, _nothing_. She's one of my closest friends."

He could hear Moceri's hesitation. "Keep looking. I'll send some people," he said, and then hung up. Edge tossed the phone onto the other side of the car, frustrated. It was painfully obvious that Moceri didn't trust him. He wouldn't take this well normally, but when Lita's life depended on it, that all changed.

* * *

"He could be lying to us, taking us on a wild goose chase," Captain Moceri warned as Benoit pulled out in his car, Moceri sitting beside him in the passenger seat. "He could be Dean's accomplice, and we could be dooming Lita—"

"Listen, Moceri," Benoit ground out, his tone furious. "I know what we're dealing with, okay? Lita's like my best friend. I know the stakes more than you ever will. I'm making the decision to trust Edge now. He wasn't lying to you when he said he wouldn't hurt Lita."

Moceri was silent as Benoit guided the car through the traffic, looking out for the exit that they would take. "The speed limit is sixty."

"So?"

"You're going eighty."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Moceri paused, "Nothing," he admitted finally. They continued to drive in complete silence as they pulled onto the exit ramp. The silence was shattered by the insistent ringing of Benoit's cell phone. Cursing beneath his breath, Benoit flipped it open.

"Yeah?" he asked into the phone, and the reply nearly sent him swerving off of the road.

"Chris, it's Lita! _He's trying to kill me!_"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hope you guys like this chapter! Please review! 


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Chapter 16 already...-tear-... Anyways, I think I'm finally done with the twists...maybe. :) Yup, I'm evil. Thank you guys so much for all of the reviews! Please keep reviewing, and the chapters will keep coming! Well...I'm going to write the chapters anyway, but...you get the point!

**Disclaimer: **Hmm... Let's see. I own Porter, Moceri, the story idea, and I think that's about it... All of the wrestlers are © of the WWE, not me.

**Distribution: **No where yet... Once it's finished, on my site of completed works, if the stupid freewebs site starts working again –grumbles- Anyway, if you want it, take it, give me link. Simple as that!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 16**

Lita panted, gripping the cell phone. She had managed to slip away from Matt in the water, and climb to his car. The keys, as she had hoped, were not in sight, but his phone was. The redhead's breath came in ragged breaths. She was leaning against the open door to the truck for support, the light from the truck and the lantern spilling over her.

Her eyes widened as she saw Matt stumbling up the slope, his eyes seeming to sparkle in the night. "He's going to kill me," she said into her voice, her voice high. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was panicking, but at the moment she couldn't fix it.

"Who, Lita?" Chris Benoit asked, his voice stressed.

Lita felt tears move down her wet face. "Matt," she whispered. She knew she should move out of sight, but her limbs were frozen in place.

"Listen to me Li, calm down," Benoit's voice came to her. "We're on our way to save you. We're with Edge. You have to tell me where you are." Lita was silent, petrified as Matt cleared the slope, his eyes on her. "Where are you?" It took her a moment to answer Benoit's question.

"By a lake," she told him, feeling the fear seize up inside of her as Matt neared. "On a slope," she added, petrified. Matt stepped toward the trunk of the truck. Lita dropped the phone into the pocket of her thin jacket.

"**Lita!** Lita!" she could hear Chris's voice over the phone. The redhead suddenly bolted, running around to the front of the car. Matt leapt for her, grabbing her jacket sleeve and throwing her into the ground. He straddled her, holding her shoulders to the ground. Her eyes were filled with fear as she looked up at him. Lita's fingers clawed at the mud as Matt spoke.

"You're going to regret doing that," he told her.

Matt lifted his hand off of her shoulder, aiming to strike her, but she moved faster than he. Lita threw her handful of mud into his eyes, managed a kick to his midsection, and then slithered from beneath him. She stumbled, the hood of the car catching her. Her legs were so wobbly; she could hardly stand. From nearby she could hear Matt's enraged yells approaching. Tears of desperation fell down her face. She pushed off from the truck, aiming to run, but Matt caught her from the waist, throwing her backward into the car, her lower back hitting one of the headlights with a shattering noise.

Lita let out a cry, sinking to the ground. He grabbed her by the hair, dragging her right back up. "Matt! Your plan isn't going to work. Benoit, Edge, the captain... They're all on their way," she informed him, and he just chuckled, pressing a finger to her lips.

"Benoit's dead!" Matt screamed out suddenly. "Dean was supposed to kill him!"

Lita shook her head, nearly snarling at her former beau. "No, Matt. Benoit is alive and well, and he's coming here to kick your ass."

Matt took a moment to visibly calm down. When he spoke again, there was a sing-song quality to his voice. "Lita, Lita, Lita," he cocked his head. "The more people you bring into this, the more people die." He laughed again as she tensed beneath him. "Yeah, that's right Lita. Let's see," he paused, moving his hand from her face, her back still against the hood of the car. "Edge and Moceri tried desperately to save you, but they got caught under the car. Benoit went mad, seeing you die, and killed himself," Matt shrugged. "It all works out in the end, you see. Karma's a bitch."

"Yeah, it is," she wheezed out, "Which is why you're going to get arrested in five minutes."

Matt laughed loudly. "Do you really think they'll find this place in time to save you, Lita? Though, I think it would be quite dramatic. Perhaps I should kill them all one by one, and save you for last, eh, sweets?" he chuckled.

"Go to hell," Lita spat out, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. Had she really led the three to their deaths? The redhead shook her head, trying not to believe it, but at the same time tears filled her eyes again. God, if Edge or Moceri died because of her... If Benoit... A sharp pain stabbed her emotions at the thought, and she mentally forced herself to look toward the current situation.

She tried to run once more. Matt grabbed her by the head, and pulled her to him. Deliberately, and forcefully, he slammed her forehead onto the car hood. Lita sprung back from the impact, splashing into the puddles on the ground. Matt picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

Lita, dazed but terrorized, slammed her hands against his back, kicking and struggling for all she was worth as well. The redhead elbowed Matt in the back of the neck, but he barely budged, carefully going down the hill. When they reached her car, Matt threw her in the driver's seat.

Blood ran down her face, her eyes blinded by a mix of salty tears and it. Words failed her. She struggled to get out, but Matt's bulky form was wedged in the only open space of the door. He was wedging something on the gas pedal. She tried to kick it out, but Matt just grabbed her and pushed her into the passenger seat, her head smacking against the window. Matt stared at her for a few moments, a malicious grin on his face. Slowly, he changed the gear from park, lifting the emergency brake as he did so.

Lita's scream echoed over the lake as her car splashed inward past the quick drop off, and began to sink, the current slowly carrying the car further and further into the middle of the lake.

On the shore, a sick grin on his face, Matt Hardy simply watched.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ah yes, evil, evil chapter. Hope you guys liked it anyway! Please review! 


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for the reviews! Oh, and a warning, there's a little cliffhanger at the end of the story, sorry!! Anyway, please continue to review, and enjoy yourselves!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 17**

Lita felt the car moving further and further into the lake, slowing slightly. The redhead struggled out of her seat as the front of the car slowly sunk downward, breaking through the water's surface. She could still see the top of the black depths from the top half of the windshield. Lita clambered over the armrest, pain stabbing her head. She felt her body shaking as she collapsed into the backseat, sobbing. Looking out of the window, she could see the darkness encompassing the area. The redhead wrapped her arms around her throbbing body, burying her head into her knees. She couldn't stand to watch the slow progression of water moving up the windshield.

'_I'm going to die!' _the thought pounded through her head over and over again, becoming a mantra inside her skull. _'God, what did I do to deserve this? What did I do? Why are you doing this to me?' _sobs wracked her body as her thoughts became less and less understandable as her panic worsened. She would never get to see her family again. Her mother, her father, her little brother Billy... Jeff! What about Jeff? Lita wrapped her arms around herself, the tears slowing, but her sobs not. It was all too much to take.

She was going to die.

Lita felt the overbearing panic in her body. _'I'm not ready to die! I can't die!' _she screamed to herself. Could she get the backdoor open and swim out before the car sunk? _'And then what?' _she asked. _'Swim to shore? Shore's a good fifty yards away! My clothes are soaked and heavy, if I took them off—and even if I didn't—I would freeze to death or drown by the time I got to shore!' _Lita looked toward the windshield, and let out a trembling breath as she realized it was completely covered.

There was no way out.

* * *

Matt Hardy grinned to himself as he watched the dark form of the car sinking into the water. Finally, Lita was getting what she deserved. She thought she was the center-of-the-world, always trying to get attention. Lita didn't understand that she didn't deserve that spotlight; _he did_. Matt scowled, and then shook his head. It wouldn't matter anymore. Lita would die, and suddenly he became the grieving ex-boyfriend who Lita had never given a second chance. It was flawless...

Except for Chris Benoit.

Matt's scowl deepened at the thought of the man. He would have to take care of Benoit, and soon, before he could tell anyone that Matt was the one behind of this. The dark-haired man suddenly smiled, remembering his discarded gun. It was so simple. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it earlier. Benoit was undoubtedly going to show up, and in his haste forget to call the police. Matt would silence him with a shot to the head, and leave him there. It would be harder to cover himself up if Benoit touched him. That solved, Matt turned around, only to be blinded by a set of headlights from an approaching car.

A few minutes later, gunshots rang out over the lake.

* * *

Lita could do nothing but sob as the water began to inch by the backseat windows. The redhead looked down at the floor, and felt her stomach roll into her throat. There was about two inches of water gathered on the floor from various non-airtight places on the car. Lita ran a hair through her hair. She had tried to get out of the car using the back door, only to find that it wouldn't open, even after forcing the lock backward. With a great deal of force she had managed to push it open just a little but there was no way that it would open enough to let her through. She had immediately closed the door, but water had poured in, and the door hadn't shut completely. Lita had spent the past twenty minutes staring at the water as it swirled in, coming halfway up her shin when she sat in the seat.

What, in reality, was only a few minutes ago but seemed like an eternity ago, the car had shifted vertically, sending the water splashing down to the end. Lita was sitting propped between the back of the driver's seat and the floor behind it. Her eyes had taken on a glazed look, and all thoughts in her head had stopped. There was no way out of the sinking car. It was better to die with acceptance than with panic, Lita had reasoned as she sobbed out the last of her tears.

_Crack!_

Lita jumped at the sudden noise, and whirled toward the windshield. Her body shook with fear as she watched the crack in the windshield quickly spread across the surface as the water pressure pressed down upon the upper half of the car. Lita simply watched as water hissed through the cracks, splashing to the collection of it at the bottom of the car.

The redhead stared at the water, feeling the empty hollow within her. She was going to die here, inside this car, and all because of Matt Hardy. The answers were still so blurry to her. Why did Matt do this to her? Confusion was heavy on her mind, and the thought that she was never going to get the answers only added to the pit in her stomach. There were no more tears to cry, but sobs came from the woman's throat every now and again as she watched the cracks dance above the dashboard, forming circular-like patterns.

It was at the exact moment when she had begun to think about her own death that the ringing of a cell phone cut through the still air.

* * *


	19. Chapter 18

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 18**

Lita took a moment to settle herself down before her attention returned to the ringing phone. The redhead was confused. It took her a brief moment to find that the cell phone was in her jacket pocket. _'I must've dropped it in there when I hung up on Chris,' _she thought, the only rational thought in her head as of late. As she opened the phone, amazed that it was still working, her heart thumped loudly in her chest. "H-Hello?" she whispered.

"_Lita! _Oh my God, Lita! Are you okay? Where are you?" Chris Benoit's frantic voice cut through the fuzzy static on the phone.

"Chris!" Lita shouted, her voice hoarse. She felt a dim ray of hope well within her, but she did the best to push it away.

"Where are you?" he asked again. "We're at the lake!" he shouted.

"B-but...what about Matt?" Lita whispered. She knew Matt...or at least this new side to him. Remembering what he had said to her, she found it more than odd that Matt would just disappear from the scene; she _knew _that it was false. Lita's panic suddenly increased. If they arrived, and Matt wasn't there, then who was to say that Matt had simply hid somewhere? Who was to say that Matt wouldn't wait until their backs were turned and then attack Chris, Captain Moceri, and Edge? "Matt is out there!" Lita yelled into the phone. "Chris, get out of there! He's going to hurt you!"

"Lita! Lita, calm down!" Chris found a break in her shouts. "Moceri has him cuffed and a police car is coming," he told her firmly, but Lita could sense the worry in his voice, and she guessed that it was more for her than any worry about Matt breaking loose. "Where are you?" she opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "Lita, _please. _We just got here and your car was in the middle of the lake and it just about gave me a heart attack... Lita, please, tell me where you are."

When she spoke, her voice was high with renewed panic. "I'm in the car!"

"What?"

"I'm in the car, Chris, _help me, please_!" Lita said into the phone, clutching her lifeline.

"What's going on?" Benoit asked, his voice nearly as alarmed as hers.

"I'm in the back...the front is totally under," Lita's body shook with new sobs. Hope had grown inside her with Chris's call, and now, saying it aloud, she was noticing just how screwed she was. "There's a crack in the windshield, one door is partially open, and there's water all over."

"Captain Moceri called the fire department," Chris told her, then, earnestly, "Do you think you can make it a half an hour?"

Lita shook her head, trying to stifle a scream. "I don't think I can make it fifteen more minutes," she replied, her entire body trembling now.

"Hang in there, Red, hang in there. We're working on finding a way to get you out."

"Hurry, Chris!" Lita insisted. "Please...Lord... I can't open any door or break through any windows. There's no way out of here!" she said, more to herself than to Chris.

"The trunk!" Chris shouted after a moment of silence.

"W-what?"

"Does the trunk have water in it?"

Lita, kind of getting where he was going with it, propped herself up against the seats, and grabbed the hoop of fabric on the middle seat and pulled down. She pushed the black material that separated the trunk from the rest of the car, and to her surprise, saw that the trunk was empty. "No, it doesn't, it's empty, but what help is that? The trunk button is by the driver, and that's completely under!"

"Lita, just listen! I'm giving the phone to Edge, okay? Listen to him, and you'll get out of there!"

Her attention suddenly more focused, she nodded, although Chris couldn't see her. There was a clatter on the other end, and then Edge's voice came over the phone. "Lita!"

"Edge," she whispered.

"Okay, listen up... You need to squeeze through that hole, and once you do, stay as far toward the front of the car as you can, okay?"

Slightly confused but willing to do anything, Lita turned her eyes to the space. "Okay," she told him, and stretched her arms beyond her head, through the hole. Using her feet, she slowly pushed herself into the hole. It was a struggle to get her shoulders through, but she managed. Just as she got her hips halfway through, the car shifted.

Lita screamed loudly as the car shifted, the back wheels slapping against the water's surface. The redhead immediately moved back so that her waist back weren't in the trunk. The car wavered for a moment, and then the back wheels rose from the water once more. Lita let out a sigh of temporary relief, and then held the phone to her ear once more.

"Lita? Are you okay?" Edge's worried voice came to her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Lita said hurriedly. Time seemed to speed by. "Hurry. What now?"

"Look around... There should be another trunk open switch. _Don't hit it. _Tell me if you find it." Suddenly realizing what the plan was, she immediately started groping in the dark along the walls, careful not to lean too far into the trunk. Her fingers brushed over the walls with no sign of the button. Lita leaned forward cautiously, and her breath caught in her throat as the car wavered again. Nevertheless, she continued looking, and finally she found it, near the end of the car.

"I got it!" she shouted.

"Yes!" Edge cheered. "Don't hit it yet. Get yourself ready and then hit it. Once you hit it, you _have to act quickly_," he stressed. "Jump out of the trunk. Swim toward the light—we've got one shining over the lake. Chris is swimming out to meet you. Go to him, and he'll get you back to shore."

Lita nodded numbly, preparing herself for the risk she was about to take, at the same time, realizing just how blessed she was to have friends that were willing to put so much on the line for her. The redhead steeled herself, reaching forward, her fingers on the edge of the button. Just as she was about to press it, the sound of a loud crack threw her off guard. She retracted her hand and whirled around, just in time to see the windshield implode.

The redhead screamed, throwing her arms up to guard her face from the glass. The car suddenly shifted, the front plunging deeper downward. Water rushed in quickly, soon furiously gaining up Lita's legs. Lita looked at the rushing water for one moment, and then turned around.

She hit the button.


	20. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: **-cries- The time has come... Time to end this story... Not really. Well, not now at least. I believe this chapter is going to be the second to last chapter. I'm seriously thinking about a sequel to this story, I even have an idea (yeah, very, very basic, but that's okay!), but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to write it. Please review, and tell me if I should do a sequel!

**Note 2: **Hehe... Sorry I didn't put this all as one, but I uploaded this a few days ago, so I thought it'd be fair to put up a second one. I wanted to thank everybody who reviwed! I didn't think that this story would be so popular :) Anyway, you'll be glad to note that THE ENDING IS NOT A CLIFFHANGER, lol.

So close to 200 reviews, and yet so far...

Okay, okay. :( I know we won't make it there, but oh well! All that matters is that this is going to be my _first-ever _finished story in the wrestling section! Yey! A little side note here... In a few weeks (depending on my muses and free times) I'm thinking about posting another story. I've got two already typed, both with three or four chapters (yeah, not a lot, I know). My point! I have a point! Which one should I do? The first one is a high school fic (yes, I succombed to the high school muses) and the second is a Lita story (surprise, surprise) where she is pregnant with **somebody's **baby (okay, here's a hint: this was completely based off of suggestions for a sequel to "I'll be Your Anything, you can find it on my website. However, it is NOT a sequel.) Well, my notes are nearing as long as the story, so I'll shut up now. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **You should know it by now. All wrestlers are © WWE, Moceri, Porter, uh, anyone else I made up are © of me.

**Distribution: **No where, as of yet... Well, of course. Want it, take it, give me link and credit... Simple!

* * *

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 19**

Lita watched as the trunk lifted. She saw a brief glimpse of light spreading across the lake, and then water started to fill the trunk. The redhead clambered forward until her entire body was in the trunk. The back of the car immediately began to sink. Lita tried to get to a crouching position, but was thrown off balance and rolled to the side. She surfaced in the water that filled three fourths of the trunk already. Her cheek was pressed against the roof of the trunk in order to get air. The door to the trunk submerged, along with whatever air Lita had left. The redhead held her breath, swimming forward. The car was falling deeper quickly, and the movement had her back against the roof. With a mighty push, Lita went downward, and swum forward. The trunk door slammed against her ankles, but she was free of the car.

Suddenly, her body revolted against the lack of air. She turned her head to the surface, and opened her eyes, ignoring the stinging pain that came to them. There was a faint glimmer of light. Could that be it? Either way, Lita forced her limbs to move and swam to the top, praying that she could hold her breath that long.

By some miracle, she did. Lita took a gasping breath as her head emerged from the watery depths. "Keep moving!" Captain Moceri's booming voice came across the lake. The redhead took a breath and turned toward where the light seemed centered, and began to swim. Her clothes weighed her down, and soon, her limbs were sore, unwilling to carry on. A wave hit her, and she felt the cold water wash over her head. She spat out the water that found its way in her mouth, and tried to swim onward. She could feel her eyelids fluttering shut and her strokes becoming less and less. Lita tried to focus her thoughts on just getting to shore, but it was impossible. The redhead felt her body begin to sink, the water rising up her chin, her mouth, her nose...

Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm, and her head was jerked out of the water. She took a gasping breath as an arm was wrapped around her waist. "Lita! Hang in there!" Chris Benoit told her, positioning their bodies so he could swim to shore. Lita nodded, allowing herself to be pulled and throwing a stroke in here and there when she could. The black water spread out before them, and they didn't seem to be getting any closer. Her eyes fluttered once more, but she determinedly kept them open, kicking her feet. She hadn't gone this far just to give up. She owed this to Chris; to Edge; to Moceri, all whom had tried their best to save her: and they had. If they hadn't come, she would still be in that car, drowning or all ready gone.

As they reached the shore, hands grabbed them, pulling them to the safety of the shore. Lita looked around as she was helped up the hill, Benoit not far behind. Four police cars had arrived, along with an ambulance, the paramedics helping them up the hill at the moment. The redhead turned her head, spitting the lake water that had gathered in her mouth onto the ground. She stumbled a few times up the hill, but refused to let the paramedics carry her.

They sat her down at the end of the ambulance with Chris. When she tried to talk to him, the paramedics told her to save whatever she had to say for later. The redhead sighed, and prepared to endure endless questioning about her well-being.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" who she took to be the head paramedic asked as another one wrapped two heavy blankets around her shoulders with a friendly smile.

Lita shook her head. "N-No," she told him, her teeth beginning to chatter despite the blankets. "I mean... I'm dizzy and cold, but besides that and some soreness in my legs, I'm okay," she explained. The more she sat, the more questions came to mind. Confusion captured her thoughts quickly. _'Where's Matt? Where's Dean? What happened?' _questions followed one after another in an endless stream that she could not stop. She tried not to fidget as the man looked her over, checking for broken bones and cuts, taking her temperature and whatnot.

"Well, you sure got lucky," he told her, leaning back. "All I can see is a few bruises and cuts. I'll have one of these guys bandage you up, but besides that, there really isn't much we can do. Did you take a hit to the head?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned being slightly dizzy as well. It could be that you are concussed, or simply because of the trauma you've been through. Either way, I'd suggest visiting the hospital just in case, even only if it continues. Also, you might want to have a doctor look at your lungs. I'm nearly positive they're fine, but if you inhaled enough water, there could be some damage. You'll probably be coughing up water, or having water run down your nose, for a few days. Don't worry; it's simply your body's way of getting rid of it. However, if after four days it's still happening, you really should go to the doctor."

Lita nodded, mentally tucking the notes away. The paramedic left, and signaled for another one. Lita recognized her as the woman who gave her blankets. The redhead smiled weakly as the woman bandaged the cuts on her shoulders and arms. Lita looked over at Chris Benoit, and caught his eye. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was, but the words couldn't shape in her throat. A paramedic temporarily blocked their intertwined gazes, and he looked away. Lita did the same, alone with her thoughts. A particular one struck her over and over again:

It was over.

* * *

Just as Benoit and Lita were done with the paramedics, Captain Moceri appeared, looking stricken, a cell phone in his hand. Lita's eyes snapped up, her body tensing. Chris looked up, wary of the expression on the detective's face. "I was just contacted by Miss Stacy Keibler," he spoke slowly, his tone disbelieving. "She learned about the identity of Lita's stalker, and went the police station with it. Lieutenant Porter took her hostage. He's currently in custody and facing several charges. Stacy is fine," he added quickly as both Lita and Benoit opened their mouths. "She learned the information from Chris Jericho, who had been attacked by Dean Malenko before he entered your hotel room," he nodded toward the redhead. "He's pretty banged up, but he'll be okay. He and Stacy want you to come to the hospital once you're cleared."

Lita let out a long breath, letting her shoulders slump. She was cold, her legs ached, but she didn't care. She was alive! Lita raked a hand through her soaked hair, and let her hand fall in her hands, getting a few moments of relative peace. Questions and concerns rattled through her mind like wildfire.

They could wait.


	21. Chapter 20

**Always Watching**

**Chapter 20**

Lita let the breeze coming from the ocean shore waft through her hair, breathing in the deep, salty scent. She had always loved the ocean. The redhead stared out into the blue depths from her spot on the hotel room balcony, relaxed in her moment of peace. She sighed softly, sitting down on one of the plastic chairs. It had been nearly four months since the day she'd almost drowned. Sometimes it felt like years, and sometimes it felt like days. But now, thinking about it, she'd only been able to be this at peace since Matt's sentence had been delivered. Lita rested her head on the banister, closing her eyes and thinking. Matt Hardy had been all too happy to deliver every detail, and _former_ Lieutenant Porter added to the story with his confession. Now, with the whole picture and every angle covered, Lita reviewed the events that had forever altered her life.

Dean Malenko had been sent to a psyche ward for one year following his forced resignation from the WWE, and then had been cleared at the end of that same year. After that, he had literally disappeared off of the face of the planet. No one knew where he had gone, and thanks to Matt, no one ever would. Nearly two years later, Matt had walked into his locker room to find Dean sitting there, offering him a large amount of money if he would help him out. Matt had acceptedâ€but only with something more sinister in mind. Dean, oblivious to Matt's plans, which would eventually override his own and cost him his life, approached the lieutenant with $20,000 in total if he would hold up the station at the appropriate time, and then disappear. Somehow, he had known Porter would accept. With the forces of the three men, the plans of each man went into action.

It had been Dean who had been her 'secret admirer' all along. He told Matt everything about his plans, something that served the other man quite well later. As Dean continued to send the invitations, he pressed Porter to instill the idea that someone close to Lita was sending the objects, and Porter did just that. The day Dean decided to make his move, Matt stayed in the lobby to watch for Lita. He alerted Dean to the fact that Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho were with her.

Malenko went into the room Jericho and Benoit shared posing as cleaning staff, to find only Jericho there. He knocked Jericho out, and headed toward Lita's room, and saw Benoit heading for it at the same time. Dean took advantage of the superb timing, and let Benoit go into the room. He stopped the door from closing, waited a few seconds, and then entered, slamming the lead pipe into Benoit's skull.

Lita broke away from her thoughts, sighing once more, but it wasn't the tired sigh she'd had in the last few months. Worry was far from her mind, but curiosity still bit at her. Why did Dean come back, after all this time? Why hadn't the mental institute he'd been sent to cure him of his obsession? Where had he gone after that year?

And the most important one: why did Matt want to kill her?

The thought still sent a chill down her spine. During the trial, Matt had been calm on the stand. He had never once told anyone _why_. His simple, repeated answer had been 'she deserves it'. Lita forced herself to shrug. It didn't matter; she shouldn't think about it. Matt had been sentenced to first-degree murder and attempt at murder—or something like that. Lita had been in such a haze that day she hadn't paid much attention to all of the charges against him. All she knew is that the minimum time for the charges was seventy-five years. Matt was officially out of her life. It was doubtful that he would still be alive once his term was carried out.

The redhead felt a soft smile grace her face. "It's over," she whispered aloud, and it was. Chris Jericho had healed well, receiving minimal head trauma. Stacy had been at his bedside constantly, nursing him back to health. Lita felt her smile widen as she thought of the two, silently wondering when they would get together. It was obvious that they both adored each other.

And as for she and Benoit

She felt a small flush rise to her cheeks, but tried to push it down. No matter how much she tried, she felt like a giggling schoolgirl every time she thought about him. Lita propped her feet up on the other chair, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes still on the ocean waves. Chris had been there for her, always. He had saved her life that night when she was trapped in that car, and she still felt that she hadn't thanked him entirely enough. She felt waves of guilt every now and then, despite her efforts to rid herself of them. She had been the one to bring everyone into that mess.

Still, she had learned a lot from what had happened. Lita knew enough not to make the same mistake twice. She now knew the most vicious side of human nature, and never wanted to see it again.

So, perhaps in some ways, the whole situation had been a good thing for her. Thinking about the lessons learned, she still wasn't sure. But, looking at Stacy and Jericho, and she and Benoit, the perhaps seemed to be more of a yes. Lita leaned against the back of the chair, relaxing calmly for what seemed like the first time in decades. Her eyes watched the A smile returned to her face as her thoughts inevitably turned back to Chris.

Lita and Chris Benoit.

Who would've thought?

* * *

_R.I.P_

_Dean Malenko_

_Loving son_

The man's fingers traced over the engraved headstone, his dark eyes betraying no emotion. _Loving son,_ nothing more was written. He knew that Dean's mother had written the headstone, unable to write much else. Dean had been an only child, no brothers and sisters.

'_But he had me!' _the thought stood out in the man's mind as he stared at the gray stone. _'I was as close to him as a brotherâ€ He should've told me, I would've helped him,' _his eyes settled on the weeds already growing at the base of the headstone. In the silence, he picked them away. _'It's that girl's fault. She's the reason he died,' _anger built in him, and he clenched his large fist around a dandelion. _'Lita.' _A snarl escaped the man's lips. If Dean didn't live, then she shouldn't! The head of the dandelion fell to the moist grass. Lita deserved to die!

And he would make sure she got her dues.

* * *

**-THE END-**

* * *

**Author's Note: **-tear- Yes, yes it is really the end. And yes, I did have to end it like that. If you didn't guess, I'm going to do a sequel! Not sure when, but sometime! Anywayâ€ -deep breath- It's over. Thank you to every single reviewer who reviewed! When I started this story, I was hoping for 100 at the most, but you guys all surpassed it! You all totally inspired me to continue! This is my first wrestling story finished! **I actually finished something! **Yey! Anyway, wow. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you guys enjoyed this story. Keep an eye out for the sequel! Love you guys, and take care!

-Liz-

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